Finne Min Senter
by snowharvester
Summary: He was a Guardian who just wanted to have fun with his best friend. She was a wandering spirit who cursed her home and had no clue about the meaning of her everlasting existence. But when darkness falls and children started to go missing; a storybook character will be brought to life and the definition of good and bad will be questioned. First fic so please R and R!
1. Elsa, Queen of Arendelle

_**Finne Min Senter**_

_**Chapter One**_

_**Elsa, Queen of Arendelle**_

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><p>There was great sadness in the kingdom of Arendelle, not since the untimely death of the king and queen in the sea but now, their eldest daughter was to follow their footsteps for an early grave. The only sibling, Princess Anna never left her older sister's side ever since the young queen had coughed up blood. Elsa, the infamous Snow Queen, had been having fevers for months and recently, blood had mingled in her coughing fits as well as sudden chest pains and loss of appetite. Healers and doctors from near and far had been called to aid the sick young woman but they all came to one conclusion; Queen Elsa of Arendelle was dying. The doctors had asked Anna to leave Elsa in case the illness was contagious but after weeks of staying by Elsa's bedside, she was still fine.<p>

Anna had begged Kristoff to ask for Pabbie's help but the old troll answered with the gravest expression on his aged face, "I would give the whole world for Elsa but all I can do is ease her pain for as long as I could. Though I could reverse spells and recite enchantments, natural causes such as diseases are out of my abilities." The answer was not enough for her that she threw a fit and raged that her voice echoed throughout the whole Valley of the Living Rock, but in the end, she broke down into weeping mess and had be carried off by a heartbroken Kristoff back to the castle.

The moon was full and the night was clear from any clouds. Stars twinkled brightly and the scene made Anna frown; the moon should be hiding, clouds should have filled the evening sky because even if Elsa didn't show it, she was already at her limit. It didn't help that she laid in her bed with her signature side braid placed on her shoulder like before and the blankets were drawn to her chin; her skin was paler than usual and the bruises under her eyes made Anna's eyes water at the sight of her usually graceful and poised-perfect sister now bedridden and weak, but she held it in.

Crying would only make things worse and Elsa would blame herself if she saw it upfront, so Anna pulled out the best smile that she can as she opened the curtains wide and the beam of moonlight flooded in the room that was brightened up by candles.

"The moon's very lovely tonight" Elsa sighed softly as she gazed at the visible sky on her balcony.

Anna smiled as walked towards her sister. Her two braids were tied together and pinned up and her bedclothes were rumpled on the sides. Elsa turned her blue eyes to her little-_ no, not little any more_- younger sister who took care of her every single day. Love bloomed in her chest whenever Anna smiled but she also felt the icy stab of guilt; Anna had been hovering around her and sometimes she felt that she was keeping her sister from everything else. Anna insisted that it was fine but she didn't see Kristoff's lingering stares at her with hopes of spending more time together while she spends the majority tending to Elsa.

It troubled her; Anna had her whole life passing every day but she focused too much on her sibling's health to the point that it stressed her out more. The illness had taken a toll on her body yet she can still make it snow beautifully and create everlasting ice sculptures that never melt. Her mind briefly wandered to Olaf who was on his way to the ice castle to keep Marshmallow company.

_Olaf...  
><em>  
><em>Marshmallow...<em>

She didn't want to die yet.

She wants to live and die because of old age. To have a family and to see Anna with her own. To rule Arendelle with happiness and life alongside her family and friends. Dying was out of the question but... maybe it was her fate to die this way. She didn't want to leave her sister, didn't want to leave her home, her kingdom prematurely. To leave Olaf and Marshmallow who, in a way, were like her children. They were her creations and treated them lovingly.

Anna eased next to the chair by Elsa's bedside and lifted a brow when Elsa scooted to the other side and patted the space she occupied earlier.

"Are... you sure?" she asked.

"C'mon, it'll be a cold night" Elsa insisted.

Anna shrugged as she looked at Elsa's thin robe. If Elsa wore another layer, she would immediately take it off and say that it was too hot. As if to emphasize Elsa's words, a cold wind blew on her feet and nipped her toes.

Without thinking, she jumped into the bed and into the covers with her teeth chattering. Fall was upon them and the sudden drops of temperatures at nights were already a sign of the coming winter. When her mind processed what she had done, her teal eyes widened and squeaked an apology to her sister but Elsa smiled and leaned slightly on her pillow.

"The last time we slept together in the same bed was in my eighth _Jul_ season. You were only five at that time."

"Oh I remember that!" Anna nodded enthusiastically, "Papa was trying to tuck us in and got scolded because I kept taking the _Krumkake_ from the kitchens. Why was mama scolding you though?"

Elsa's smile widened as she absent-mindedly let her fingers dance on the air and made intricately designed snowflakes that slowly fell on the blanket, "I was doing the same thing with the _Multekrem_ that was supposed to be served to the guests the next morning."

Anna's cheeks puffed out as she remembered her mother lecturing Elsa while she clasped her hands behind her back while her lips were coated with whipped cream.

"And I crept into your bed and begged you to make it snow inside the bedroom but I got very sleepy because I was so full-"

"And snored all through the night" Elsa added which earned her a mock indignant look from Anna,

"I do _not_ snore!" she took a pillow and softly hit Elsa right on the face.

Elsa faked a gasp and took another pillow to hit Anna with it, "You dare hit the queen?" They started their mini pillow fight with their laughter bouncing on the walls.

Their brief moment of happiness was halted when Elsa coughed out rather violently. Anna scrambled to get off of bed to get some cloth but Elsa grabbed her on the wrist and let the coughing frenzy settle before she took a deep breath and offered a sad smile to her sister but the smile faltered when two streaks of tears streamed down her face.

"Anna-"

"I don't you to leave!" Anna cried as she tackled Elsa with a hug. Tears seeped from her eyes to Elsa's robe and her hands bunched the fabric like something would grab Elsa away from her.

"I don't want you to die Elsie"

Something in Elsa broke when Anna uttered her childhood nickname and clung to her desperately, like the way she clung to Anna's frozen body a year and a half ago. Elsa hugged Anna closer to her chest and began to hum a song that Anna had never heard before. It was a sad yet beautiful tune and it echoed into her mind and soul;

_There's a light inside you  
>It's a spark that will never die<br>In the land of ice and snow  
>It's fire that's in your soul, never let it go<em>

_._

_Even when I'm gone my darling,_  
><em>Don't forget my love and don't you cry<em>  
><em>Close your eyes and remember my voice<em>  
><em>As I sing this lullaby<em>

_._

_And know that I love you_  
><em>Forever and always<em>

Elsa ended the song with a hum and cradled the silently weeping Anna close to her. In turn, Anna nestled her head on Elsa's neck and wrapped her arms on Elsa's midsection.

"I love you Elsa" Anna whispered and laced her fingers with Elsa's own. The queen gave her a sad smile and kissed her forehead, her platinum blond hair mixed with her strawberry blond locks,

"And I love you and forever will."

Anna looked up to her, eyes glistened with tears and her nose was red. "Will you still be here in the morning?"

"I will always be with you, I promise."

Anna nodded furiously and kept a firm embrace around her sister and took a deep shuddered breath. Elsa propped her back on the headboard so that Anna could lie on her chest. She reached to her bedside table and let her icy wind blow out the flames that flickered.

Under the soft glow of the moonlight they basked, two sisters who shared an unbreakable bond held on one another because for one, she will never see the light of a brand new day.

Elsa felt her body weaken. She tried to summon her ice or even her snow but not even a single snowflake emerged. Her fear for Olaf and Marshmallow ebbed when she turned to look at her ice figurines and saw them retain their pristine condition.

_'I love you Anna. No matter where I go, I will always protect you._' She turned to the moon and gave a small grin. Elsa had always loved the moon, for it had been the sole witness of her growth from the discovery of her powers to her freedom in the North Mountain. It gave her strength and in certain instances, she felt as if it's been looking out for her. It was nice to be taken care of for a change.

But fear began to drown her senses; who will take care of Anna? Of Arendelle? Of everyone in the kingdom? Realization began to soothe her worries as fast as it came.

Kristoff and Olaf and even Sven can take care of Anna. The whole staff of the castle did ever since they were babies. Anna would be a kind and fair queen even without her by her side. Arendelle will thrive and be prosperous more than ever.

_Everything will be alright._

With that thought, Elsa closed her eyes and placed a hand to her chest while the other one closed around Anna's. She inhaled then exhaled for the last time; a puff of icy breath exited from her mouth and within moments...

She was gone.

In the North Mountain, Olaf waddled around the ice castle as Marshmallow sat by the stairs. The snowman hopped on one of the steps and patted the creature with his stick arms, "Don't worry Marshmallow, Elsa's gonna be fine" he assured him. But the creature looked at the sky and stared at it with awe. Olaf looked at where he was staring and gawked at the ribbons of multicolored lights that flew to the direction of the port near the castle.

The creature emitted a grumble from its throat that weirdly sounded like '_Mama_' and looked at the ground with its head down.

Olaf felt something in him which was strange. He was made of snow so he couldn't have possibly _felt something_ but he knew metaphorically speaking that he felt it in his heart.

With a worried look, he turned to the direction of the kingdom and quickly waddled towards the edge of the cliff until he could see the castle,

"Elsa?"

A few miles away, a tall, dark and brooding form detached itself from the shadows of the tree and looked at the moon with unwavering hate and disgust.

"Looking out for a new spirit eh? I will have my time again and I assure you, I will defeat your oh-so-precious Guardians and people will believe me again."

Pitch Black had always been a patient spirit and if he could wait for several centuries, he could certainly wait for a few more. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the Northern Lights changing direction to the kingdom where nobody knew existed.

He had liked this kingdom especially the previous year where fear was abundant and it gave him power that saved him from being written out. A healthy dose of fear and misery was and always will be his source of existence. After all, as long as there is a living being, there will always be fear.

A wave of light shot out like an arrow and he didn't need to go closer to know that the Man in the Moon had made another spirit eternal. Most human spirits will be carried off to another realm but forces as powerful as the moon can redirect the spirit's destination.

"Like that time in Burgess" he contemplated, "If you're going to make another one like Jack Frost, I would say you're rather desperate." With a dark chuckle, he slowly slinked back into the shadows with his dagger like teeth visible in the dark,

"All good things come to those who wait"

* * *

><p><em><strong>End of Chapter One<strong>_

Author's Corner

And that is the first chapter to my first story. It's kind of short but it will get longer in the next chapter so don't worry.

Thoughts?

Comments?

Suggestions?

Then don't hesitate to review or PM me

PS. I appreciate constructive criticisms but not flames. This is my first time writing out for public viewing and I'm kinda nervous so please, be nice and I am looking for someone to mentor me with writing stories because I'm not fully confident with my writing abilities :)

Terminology:

Jul – Literally 'Yule', can be the equivalent to Christmas season since this was practiced in Northern Europe.

Krumkake – A Norwegian waffle cookie with cream and dusted with sugar.

Multekrem – A traditional Jul dessert made with cloudberries, whipped cream and syrup.


	2. Price of Eternity

_**Finne Min Senter**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Two<br>Price of Eternity**_

* * *

><p><em><strong><strong>_**-',-**

Elsa opened her eyes and expected to see the ceiling of her canopy bed with Anna sleeping by her side. But instead, she was lying on the ground that was covered with blue snow, right underneath the sky that was filled with stars and the moon, closer than she ever seen before. She reached out her hand and saw that her sleeping robe was replaced with her crystal blue off-shoulder dress with her transparent snowflake cape that draped around her body like a blanket. Confusion painted her face as she sat up and heard a gasp behind her.

She turned around to see Olaf with his mouth open and his flurry was much smaller than what she remembered.

"Elsa? Is it really you?" he asked softly.

She blinked her eyes and a smile split her lips, "Olaf!" The snowman wasted no time in tackling his creator with a hug. Elsa chuckled and gently peeled Olaf away from her. Her chuckle doubled when she noticed another change, "Where's your nose? Did Sven eat it again?"

Olaf's face dropped and looked at the ground, "Sven's been gone for a long time now" Elsa cocked her head to the side. She just saw Sven yesterday with Kristoff before they delivered the last block of ice to Oslo.

"Olaf..."

"Yeah?"

"What happened?" she wanted to ask tons of questions but one question might be enough to answer all of them. The air languidly carried the wisps of her bangs around while Olaf looked conflicted like he didn't know where to start. His arms swung back and forth before he sighed and said,

"You died Elsa. Fifty-nine years ago and tonight's your sixtieth year in death"

It took for almost a minute for Elsa to comprehend what he revealed. A rush of adrenaline made her jump up and clenched her hands, "Olaf, this isn't the time to make up such nonsense!"

Olaf shook his head and looked at the space where she had been lying. She looked down and saw that she didn't leave any mark but it didn't daunt her, she'd been doing that ever since she let powers go.

"Where's Anna?" she demanded. Anxiety and an irrational fear crept to her chest that she gasped and gulped for air but she didn't see any puffs of frost. No sign of air that she breathed out, no sign of life. Through her jumbled thoughts, Olaf's voice was like a whisper that slowly began to get louder and louder as if he was shouting in her ear,

"She's in the castle; she's... she's not well"

Tears welled in her eyes as she whipped around and advanced to Olaf, "Was she sick? Did I give her the illness?" Despite her hectic state, Olaf shook his head in a resigned manner, "No. But she's old, too old."

"Take me to Arendelle" Elsa exclaimed and looked around to find something to transport her to the palace.

"But we won't make it in time" Olaf refuted, "We're in the borders of Sweden and it will take a couple of days before we get there"

"Then what were you doing here?!" she yelled, angry that Olaf abandoned Anna for a change of scenery. He should be in the castle keeping her safe, warm. Happy. _What was he doing here?  
><em>  
>"The moon told me to find you" he simply replied. Everything in Elsa's head was reeling by that time and his answer made her want to scream in frustration.<p>

"The moon did... _what_?"

Olaf pointed at the moon with his stick arm, "Yeah, he's really not a chatter-box though." Elsa took a good look at the moon and back to Olaf. That's when she saw his state, his body was smaller and battered, the flurry was but a tiny puff cloud hardly putting out snow for him.

"Oh Olaf" she gasped and guilt ate her chest, here she was screaming and yelling while he endured hardships just to appease the... moon.

"What has the moon been telling you?" she inquired though it sounded quite silly, and it certainly was.

"He told me to find you. He led me the way using the stars and let me tell you, that guy's really straight to the point. No 'Hi how are you? Oh you're a walking, talking snowman? Wow!' And those blizzards were nothing compared to yours- oops shouldn't have said that!"

Elsa looked at her hands and hoped that she still kept her abilities. With a deep breath, she gestured her hand towards Olaf and felt the familiar surge of power that coursed through her body. The snow lifted itself from the ground and from the air and began to mold itself to Olaf. The snowman giggled and was placed to his feet as good as new, except for the lack of a nose.

So if her powers remained, that means she could travel to Arendelle faster. While Olaf was busy thanking her for bringing his old body back, she steadied her gaze to the full moon. It was the same as it was when she last saw it in her bedroom with Anna. It brought her back maybe to take Anna with her? But where exactly? It was like she slept through those sixty years and she had no idea where they will go. But nonetheless, she will see Anna and there will be no one to stop her.

"Olaf"

"Yes?"

"Hang on tight"

Before Olaf can ask what she meant; they were already travelling across the country in a form of a small controlled blizzard.

Arendelle had changed a lot.

The port was bigger and different ships were anchored by the docks. New buildings have been made and there was a bigger garden behind the castle. Elsa's blizzard touched down in Anna's private balcony to see if her sister still occupied the room but it was turned into a library. Elsa wandered into the castle and looked around. Everything looked so different that she couldn't recognize it. The ballroom was shut tight and the hall of portraits needed a good dusting.

Finally, Olaf took her by the hand and led her to the east wing of the castle. There, portraits of their family littered the halls as well as a portrait of three children with Anna. Two boys and a girl sat on the throne with Anna who matured beautifully and wore the traditional queen's gown that she once wore in a gathering.

Olaf opened the door to a bedchamber as quietly as he could and ushered Elsa to come inside. There, in her parents' old bedroom lay Anna; hair now gray and her skin were as thin as parchment. But her eyes still had that spark in them that made Elsa warm.

She glided to her sister's side and opened her arms for an embrace her but she stopped. Anna didn't react as though she had seen her long dead sister in front of her. Instead, she was looking out the window with a forlorn expression.

"Anna?"

The old woman didn't acknowledge her greeting nor did she her stare waver from the scenery outside her window.

"First it was mama and papa. Then Elsa, then last year... it was Kristoff. I don't want this anymore" her voice was raspy with age and her tone was resigned. She took a shuddering breath and took a wrinkled hand to her braided gray hair. "I want to be with my family. Klaus, Orland and Elisabet have their own families now and Arendelle will be in good hands."

Elsa gasped and tried to grab her sister by the shoulders but stared in horror when her hands went through Anna. "No... What is the meaning of this?"

"You're a spirit now Elsa. She can't see, hear nor touch you" Olaf quietly explained.

"What- But you can see me so why can't she?"

"Because you made me with your magic"

"Oh Olaf, I didn't see you there" Anna exclaimed and gently smiled at her old friend, "These eyes aren't quite what they used to be. Where were you these last couple of days?" Olaf stared at Elsa who was gazing at Anna with mixed expressions. Elsa slowly lifted her right hand towards Anna and lovingly rested her palm on her withered cheeks. Anna shuddered and pulled her blankets closer.

"Elsa..." Olaf began and Anna heard it.

"What?"

Olaf waddled to her and pointed at Elsa, "I went to the borders to meet with Elsa. She's right here, touching your cheek that's why you're suddenly cold."

The old woman stared at Olaf like he had grown another head before she lets out a laugh, "Oh Olaf, you don't have to say that! If anyone sees me trying to talk to someone who isn't here anymore, they would think I've gone crazy!" She gestured a wrinkled finger to her temple and whirred it around. Olaf sputtered on to convinced her but Anna just gave him a smile and finally said,

"If Elsie's really here, maybe it's because I'm going to join her, and my parents. And my dear Kristoff" a tear dropped from her eyes but she didn't wipe it off.

"The moon is lovely tonight" she muttered and Elsa froze; that was the exact same thing she said the night before she passed on. Anna gave a glance at Olaf and began to hum. It was the lullaby Elsa had sung to her while she cradled her to sleep.

"Y'know" she mumbled fondly, "Elsa sang that to me before she died and I sang it to Kristoff. No one's going to sing it to me now"

Elsa shook her head and hugged Anna's head although her arms grazed through her skin. The familiar tune seeped out of her throat and filled the dark room with her voice. The room was suddenly filled with snow that slowly fell out of thin air and Anna's eyes widened, "Wha-"

"It's Elsa! I told you she's hugging you right now!" Olaf cried as he jumped with joy.

A tearful smile erupted from Anna's previously despondent face and looked around, "Where? My right or your right? Elsa, are you really here?"

Elsa laughed through her tears and placed a hand on her cheek. "My Anna"

Anna blinked and slowly turned to Elsa's direction. Both their eyes widened as their image reflected on each other's eyes. Anna tentatively reached out for Elsa and felt her cold skin and made a sound that was a mix of moan and laughter.

"You... You can see me?" Elsa asked while Anna kept her hand on Elsa's cold cheek. Without any word, Anna nodded and moved her fingers to her hair and traced her braids and the tiny snowflakes that decorated her hair.

"How is this possible?" Elsa wondered aloud and looked at Olaf as if he knew about everything. He shrugged his arms and turned to the moon and as if in a trance, he stated,

"The love and belief of your existence by Anna made you real"

"Made me real? But I did exist, I just passed on" the queen pondered while keeping her hands on Anna's grip. Olaf blinked for a moment then his eyes returned to their rounded shape and looked around,

"What?"

Anna laid her head against Elsa's chest and ignored the pain that throbbed in her body. It was unfair, why should she see Elsa when her end was so close? But maybe it was Elsa's role in this. Maybe it was because her life was already coming to full circle and Elsa's there to guide her, to the place where her parents and Kristoff were. She wanted to fill Elsa with everything that had happened. About her kids and the family they'd built. The things they've achieved and the lives they'd touched. But they had all the time they want because right now; she's so tired. So sleepy.

Anna closed her eyes as Elsa sang the lullaby with a hushed tone. It's cold now; this one came from within and it was not strange because she experienced it years before but this time, she welcomed it. She knew was going to a better place with her sister and with her love. And that's all she ever wanted. Her children can handle it, she and Kristoff had taught them well.

"Good night Elsie. I'll see you in the morning..." she slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her chest deflated and her grip on Elsa's hand slackened.

"A-Anna? No, don't go to sleep- not yet, not now!" Elsa turned to the moon, "Help her please!"

A bright light covered Anna's form and within a few seconds an ethereal figure merged from Anna's body and the details began to show itself. It was Anna back when she was a little girl. Her eyes were closed and her face was peaceful. Elsa tried to hold her but her fingers met an invisible wall that prevented her from touching her sister's spirit.

"Why can't I touch her?" she asked directly to the moon as if it's the source of her pain, "She's going with me right?"

Olaf placed his hand on Elsa's cape and shook his head, "I'm sorry Elsa. But the moon said that you have to stay."

Elsa didn't seem to hear him and continued to chase Anna's soul which was floating out of the window. Her cries were silent in the ears of the castle's occupants yet her ice began to crawl from the floor to the wall and to the ceiling. Finally, Elsa was floating on the air as Anna ascended to the clouds and was greeted by a white light. With a blink of an eye, she was gone.

There stood Elsa; alone permanently with her only anchor to the world now gone to the next. The feeling of emptiness and desolation took control and with that;

She screamed.

Her voice came out with the howl of the wind, ice and snow rushed out in an erratic manner. Soon, everything close to her was frozen. Olaf tried to calm her down and warn that people still lived there but his cries fell on deaf ears as Elsa hugged herself tightly and let the snow envelope around her like an eye in a storm.

The citizens of Arendelle rushed out of their homes, still in their night garb and stared at horror of the blizzard. She didn't see a man with strawberry blond hair with Anna's eyes rushed in the room and saw his mother in her eternal sleep. She didn't hear his cries for Anna and several people filled the room and looked out to see a wall of snow that thrashed its strong winds in every direction.

The oldest man called out to Olaf but the snowman focused solely on Elsa. Inside the snowstorm, something in Elsa broke.

_**No more...**_

She will never lose another loved one. And to do that; she decided to freeze her own heart. Hide and protect her vulnerable self and avoid any pain that made eternity painful.

The cold surging line of ice made its way to her chest, through her skin, to her heart and through her soul. She was numb.

Don't let them in

Conceal it, fight it

Don't feel

Don't let it show

Never love again

Elsa opened her eyes, now in a lighter shade of blue with an icy stare but everything else stayed the same. Her hair still kept its silvery blond color and her pallor was the same as it was when she was still living. She was Elsa, queen of Arendelle and at the same time, she was mysterious and dangerous Snow Queen who had plunged her kingdom into an eternal winter once.

She turned to Olaf and the frightened, confused people. Anna's descendants and the people of Arendelle. Some had recognized her and cried for her but she kept an aloof stance and looked up at the moon.

_'Why did you do this to me?'  
><em>  
>A crystal tear left her eye before she sped away from her home like her flight in her coronation ceremony. Gusts of snow and frost whipped as she dissolved into the wind.<p>

Townspeople gasped and screamed when the ice began to sprawl on the ground like vines. The sea was frozen and all the objects were turned into solid ice except the people and animals. The eternal winter had finally got its iron grasp on Arendelle. The royal family led their people to Oslo while half of them took their way to Sweden. Arendelle was now a forgotten kingdom where no life can thrive or even survive.

* * *

><p>Pitch Black laughed gleefully as he absorbed the fear in their hearts. It made him feel invincible, powerful and malicious. He experimented with different shadows and manipulated them to do his bidding.<p>

His eyes always followed the Snow Queen wherever she went. 'Elsa' they called her and a healthy amount of trepidation and anxiety was whispered with that name. A spirit turned into a legend that turned into a myth then finally, into a mere bedtime story.

He met her once in the forest near Russia and tried to convince her to join his side and together, they shall rule the world. But he got as an answer was a literal cold shoulder and dangerous icicles that stemmed from the ground; daring him to take another step. As a shadow creature himself, he would have phased through the ice but when he tried, it was as solid for him as it was for a human.

It _infuriated_ him.

How dare she make him look like a fool? If he can't convince her, he will just have to find another way to get her to his side.

_**After Pitch's Defeat –Two hundred years prior when Pitch last saw Elsa-**_

The sound of hooves halted and it was followed by the loud neigh of horses that echoed through the forest. At long last, Pitch emerged from the shadows with a whip in his hand. Anger covered his form and all the Nightmares whinnied and stopped their chase. It took him a while to take control back and cost him dearly.

A curse escaped from his mouth and with blind fury, he lashed his whip on a tree that spliced into pieces. That Jack Frost was a blind spot that he waved off but in the end, he was made into a laughing stock by those Guardians.

Asking Jack Frost to be by his side ended with the same as it was with the Snow Queen. If she was under his command, she might have finished the vexatious Popsicle before he could spell F-U-N.

With a growl, he trudged into the woods and stepped on every plant along the way. The animal's wariness had given him back some of his strength but it wasn't enough. It will never be. He came upon a lightly frosted patch of grass while the rest was as green as it can be. The Snow Queen had crossed there and she got careless.

She never left a mark and that skill of elude and the need for solitude was something he needs next to her formidable ability. And when Jack Frost's face flowed into his mind, it made him grin in a way that it could send chills to one's spine.

"I think it's time for the Snow Queen's long awaited rendezvous with the Guardians."

* * *

><p>Elsa looked down from the mountains and peered in the small village that settled on the foot of the mountain. She was there by chance when an avalanche hit and blocks of ice and snow comes tumbling down towards the village. Without hesitation, she swept her arms to the other side and the avalanche changed its directions in perfect synchronization with her limbs.<p>

At first it confused her why she did that but then she reminded herself that although she couldn't love, she can still feel the majority of feelings and emotions.

Compassion for the people who would've lost their lives and home. Pity, if a child would be left alone in this world. Care because they were humans as she was one once and guilt if she turned a blind eye and ignore them in their time of need.

But that was all. Neither feelings of attachment nor the empathic link between two beings merged from her when she did that.

_'More of a chore'_ she thought. The cliff was at least a hundred feet and the air was thin so no one except for one who doesn't need to breathe can live comfortably there.

The queen shifted her posture and looked up at the sky. The sun was up and its blinding gaze was welcoming but a scowl marred her beautiful face when she saw the pearly outline of the moon. It infuriated her. It played with her fate, took her away from her family forever and made her see the unmerciful cycle of life and death. Thankfully she closed her heart. If she made friends from people in the past that might've seen her, she would have cried when they all reached the end of their lives.

"Solitude is all I would ever need" she declared as she glared at the moon. With a firm clench of her hand, she walked off with her cape flashing with the sunlight and soft cool breeze played with her platinum hair.

"_Nothing and no one can ever change my mind again_."

* * *

><p><strong>-',-<strong>

_**End of Chapter Two**_

Author's Corner

Oh my stars! I never thought this would be a good story! Oh thank you so much especially to the reviewers who have shared their thoughts and feelings with me. I'm so sorry I never intended to make some of you cry but I guess it's a compliment since the previous chapter had connected with your emotions! Truly, your reviews encouraged me to do my best and even update earlier than intended!

Now for some response to my reviewers:

glee131313: My very first reviewer! Oh I wish you have a box of tissues while you read it but don't worry, I shall quench your obsession with future chapters to come!

legendaryfangirl: I was honestly going to post my other story which was considerably light-hearted but I don't think it would be taken seriously. Thank you for your comments and I shall try and merge their characterization perfectly! By re-watching the two movies of course :P

rokusan23: Thank you. I hope you liked this one

AstralSecret: Thank you, I shall do my best!

Anonymous Guest: I'm sorry if you didn't picture their reunion like the one I have wrote but I has a purpose. I hope you won't hate me :(

NightmareHeartx: Thank goodness for that! I thought I'm recycling a story plot that it will bore readers to tears. Thank you for that xD

DeniseAgron: Oh my gosh, thank you for judging my writing style! I know this is no Shakespear-ean piece but it makes my heart swell for someone to say it to me :) Oh! And the lullaby was just written by me. I tried to place a Nordic lullaby but they didn't seem to fit the scene so I made my own :)

Thoughts?

Comments?

Suggestions?

Constructive Criticism?

Don't be shy, just review this and let's have a talk in PM. I would love to talk to my readers and know what's in their mind :) And early warning: This fic might be bumped up from K+ to T due to violence and because I'm awfully paranoid since I reread the story and some had a bit of… things on it that kids shouldn't be exposed to. Until then!


	3. To see is to believe, To believe is to s

_**Finne Min Senter**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Three<strong>_

_**To see is to believe, To believe is to see**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

"I'm gonna rip that little whacker's head off!" Bunnymund roared as he jumped out of his tunnel and looked around North's workshop to seek the white haired Guardian of Fun. Contrary to popular belief, the Easter Bunny was not at all cute and fluffy as the holiday cards or chocolates portray. Why, he's a six foot rabbit with killer boomerang skills and a master of Tai Chi. That mischievous winter spirit knew what he was getting in to but it didn't stop him from switching several Easter eggs in an egg hunt near Montana.

The children were indeed surprised to find several eggs made from transparent ice but their curiosity was immediately mixed with awe and amazement and soon, they raved about the ice eggs rather than the colourful ones Bunnymund gives them yearly. And this tidbit didn't sit particularly well with the Guardian of Hope.

With a huff, he looked around the workshop with sharp eyes and alert ears. By this time, Jack Frost would have been pranking the Yetis and tease the elves but the workshop was up and running without the troublemaker to delay their duties.

"Ah Bunny! What do I owe the pleasure?" A large intimidating man in a red sweater and pants with a heavy Russian accent asked as he marched to his friend. His forearms were covered by a Naughty and Nice tattoo on each respective arm that flexed with muscles that was accumulated through the years.

Bunnymund growled as he crossed his arms, "I'm looking for that little show pony! This is the second time he ruined Easter for me! I let the blizzard back in '68 slip by since he kicked Pitch's _bahootie_ last time but one is one enough!" he yelled.

North chuckled and patted his friend's shoulder, "Let the boy have his fun. It's nothing personal, he just wants children to be happy, 'Tis all"

A disapproving scowl made its way to Bunny's furious face and pushed North's hand from his shoulder, "You won't be sayin' _Ho Ho Ho_ if that little hoon decided to throw a blizzard on Christmas"

"Ah Jack wouldn't be that naughty" he chuckled but stopped, "But then again, he's always top of list since the eighteenth century which is most impressive."

Bunnymund rolled his eyes and thumped his bunny foot on the ground and a hole appeared. "When you see that icy pole, tell 'im that he should be hiding because I'm gonna get 'im!" and with that, he jumped into the hole and the ground evened itself again.

North sighed and rubbed his temple, "When will those two get along?" He looked around the workshop and wondered the same thing Bunnymund did, "Where _is_ Jack?"

* * *

><p>"Jack, are you sure this is a good idea?"<p>

Jamie Bennett asked as he looked down at the foot of a rather steep hill. Beside him was a three hundred year old spirit who looked like he's in his late teens. Jack Frost, the Guardian of Fun, scoffed as he floated on his back with his staff resting on his shoulder, "Please, when will you realize that all my ideas are good ones?"

"Well, you once made me fly up with the sled and into oncoming traffic then made me lose a tooth" he pointed out.

But Jack tutted and held up his staff, "But you got visited by the Guardians and most importantly, me right? It was a win-win situation" he explained with a grin on his youthful face.

"But I lost my quarter though..."

Jack gaped at Jamie who was hiding his laughter with a frown; "Are you really comparing my existence to something as useless as a quarter?"

The boy shrugged, "Can't make a dollar without a quarter"

Jack rolled his eyes as Jamie gave him a good natured grin; his front tooth already replaced its predecessor. He adjusted his position and hopped into the sled nimbly with his bare feet and prepared his trusted staff on hand.

Jamie placed his goggles over his eyes and put on his gloves, "Ready?" though he asked this more to himself than to his companion. But when he waited for an answer, Jack smirked mischievously before he strike his staff on the end of the sled and before the twelve year old knew what hit him, he was already yelling his lungs out while Jack whooped and cried happily as they raced down the hill in great speed.

"Waaaaaaaaah!"

"Woo-hooooooo!"

Their voices mingled in the wind and the cool air whipped around their head. Jamie gripped the sled's mount tightly while Jack used his staff like a rudder to propel its direction. The sled raced across the whole block with Jamie's friends openly gawking at them before Jack turned the sled in another direction towards the park.

"Look out!"

Jack didn't see a rock that stuck under snow and it threw off their balance. _'Deja vu!'_ the spirit thought a split second before they were thrown off the sled.

While he regained his composure in mid-flight, Jamie landed face first on the snow. Luckily he came out unscathed and even asked for another round. The winter spirit laughed heartily and was about to comply when a tune started to play from Jamie's coat pocket.

People called it a 'cellphone' and to Jack, it was a major pain. Kids these days would rather stay in their houses and play with gadgets such as 'computers' and 'PlayStation' as Jamie had called them. They were impressive, Jack had to admit, but nothing beats the fun from playing outside with your friends. Once, in a fit of childish temper, he caused a blackout in New York that cut the electricity. Tons of people bemoaned the lack of power which made him scoff.

_'And they say that humans are the toughest_ _species_' he taunted in his mind before he heard Jamie groan out and leaned his back on the snow.

"Something wrong kid?" he asked and the boy's frowning face indicated that something was indeed troubling him.

"We're gonna visit some of my mom's friends in Sweden. I didn't even know she knew people from other continents!" he said as he grabbed a handful of snow and tried to form a perfectly round snowball.

Jack stood next to him and made a rolling gesture to the ball in Jamie's hands, "And that would be a problem, why exactly?" The snowball followed his hand's movement before it frozen solid into Jamie's glove covered hands. The boy sighed and looked up at the sky, the snowball now forgotten, he closed his brown eyes for a moment and said, "But that'll mean I won't see you for a couple of weeks!"

There was a moment of silence before Jack threw back his head and laughed, "Are you serious? Kid, you're talking to the Guardian of Fun" (He puffed his chest out a bit when he said this) "plus, in case you haven't been paying attention all this time, I can _fly_!"

To prove his point, his bare feet lifted off the ground and somersaulted once. Jamie rolled his eyes and sat up,

"Easter Bunny's right, you really are a show pony!"

The reward he got for that quip was the large pelting of snowballs that kept going until his feet was the only thing visible under the white pile.

* * *

><p><strong>-;-<strong>

The air was crisp and clean as he swept through the countryside. If he's going to tag along with the Bennett family, he will have to make his job faster by placing frosts here and there. And of course, spreading some fun along the way why sending his special snowflake to people who could use a bit of it. It was already nightfall when he reached the house he familiarized himself with. Mrs. Bennett had tucked Sophie in with a bedtime story and Abby was lying in the living room floor, chewing on a tennis ball to pass the time as Jack slipped into Jamie's bedroom and sat on the foot of the bed.

There was something about Jamie apart from his strong will and belief that drew the Guardian to him. And not only because he was the first person to ever believe him, but because when he first saw Jamie, it pulsed a memory of someone he lived so much that was locked in his memories.

His sister.

He didn't know what happened to her but he knew that he saved her and she grew up and lived, for the both of them. In a sudden hit wishful thinking, he imagined that Jamie was his sister's descendant.

_'Heh, the resemblance was so uncanny'_ he nodded to himself.

He changed the position his staff to his hand and balanced the base with his palm. It never crossed his mind as to why it was present in his hands in the onslaught flood of memories. Was he a shepherd in his previous life?

Well, the past is in the past.

"What are you smiling about?" Jamie asked as he walked into the room with his hair still damp with bath water and dressed in his blue pajamas. Jack shrugged and smoothly answered, "Thinking up some cool pranks that will astound everyone else"

The open luggage caught Jack's eye and the messy clothes that littered within. Jamie opened his closet and began to randomly throw things in the bag. Jack studied the contents and held up a pair of diving goggles, "Didn't know you could find some warm pool randomly in Sweden." Jamie shrugged and placed a dozen rolled-up socks and zipped his bag shut. He yawned as he stretched his arms wide and slumped in his bed. "Hey Jack" he called out. Jack floated right beside him lying on his back and his arms crossed behind his head,

"Yeah?"

Jamie rolled over so he could copy Jack's position and looked at the glow-in-the-dark star stickers on his ceiling, "D'you think the trip will be fun?"

A smile spread on Jack's lips and turned to his friend, "As long as I'm around, it'll be tons of fun. I guarantee that"

The next morning, Jamie woke up to find Jack missing and saw a message written on his mirror. It was messy, like a child's scrawl and it stated,

_**'See you in Sweden!'**_

* * *

><p>The air was sweet and clean. The wind carried him through the Norwegian Sea and felt the spray of mists on his face as the wave slapped against the huge rocks. He would have arrived earlier but he took a detour to other countries and placed a bit of snow here and there. Besides, Jamie and his family would be arriving by noon since their eight hour flight by that metal contraption was a bit delayed due to some 'technical' problems. So he took it upon himself to visit this place better than he regularly does every other winter season.<p>

Stockholm was as busy as always but kept a homey feel to it. The midday hustle and bustle was unlike America's but this place was lively in its own way. People spoke in fast Swedish and children played in the park and on the sidewalks. The docks were crowded and his presence made some locals shiver and pulled the collar of their jackets up.

As he flew across the streets, he saw something that was very eye-catching indeed. It stopped his normally fast paced glide into a sudden stand still and stared the scene before him.

In the middle of the busy street with people walking in their modern clothing, in front of a well-lit shop with clothing displayed on the windows, there stood a young lady with braided platinum hair that was almost like silver and disappeared over her left shoulder.

_'Was she going to a fancy party or something?'_ he asked to himself. Her blue dress had a regal feel to it and the transparent cape that was designed with delicate snowflake prints that shone every time the sunlight hit it. And that high slit of the dress on her right leg's side when the wind blew... at least he found out his body still kept its teenage hormones.

Her back was turned to him and he saw her tilt her head slightly as if to study the clothes the mannequin was wearing. What really caught his attention was how she didn't seem to faze a bit when a couple of teenagers walked right through her.

"A spirit?!" he cried, "She's one of us?"

He never saw any other spirit except for the Guardians so it excited him. He knew she wasn't one of them; North introduced him to every single spirit worldwide. He memorized every single face and he's pretty sure he would remember the woman's. After all, Tooth was the only female Guardian who ever existed.

His curiosity and excitement overwhelmed his being and it led him to fly towards her. She must have felt or heard him coming because she suddenly took flight, a flurry of snow was left in her wake. Jack looked up from where she flew and he bent his knees to ride the wind and tell it to take him to her when Jamie's voice interrupted his actions.

"Jack!"

Jamie stood next to his mother who was in a really tight embrace with a slim auburn haired woman who was accompanied by a man with thick black curls. His toothy grin and expectant eyes made Jack retreat his plans to follow the mysterious spirit.

For now anyway.

"This trip is going to be fun indeed" he smirked as he flew to his friend.

* * *

><p><strong>-;-<strong>

Elsa stopped her flight and stopped in front of a fountain pool. She looked around to see if the strange boy had followed her. It was a surprising and truthfully, a frightening experience for someone to see her. At first, she thought he must've been looking through her but when she saw the otherworldly strands of hair that was as white as the purest of snow, bare feet despite the layers of clothing humans wore and the paleness of his skin; he wasn't human at all. And he was flying, who on Earth besides spirits can fly?

Does he have some kind of power as well?

The staff on his hand made her feel threatened. It might be a weapon of some sort and she didn't want to have anything to do with his plans, whatever it might be. She looked around and saw that there was nobody in sight so she sat on the rim of the fountain and stuck a finger in the water.

If she had done this two centuries ago, she would have frozen the whole fountain but all those time gave her the opportunity to control her skills and hone them in better use. Of course, she might have accidentally frozen a few rivers and lakes when she practiced but surely they must have melted by now.

She didn't know why she came to Sweden. Maybe because it was so close to the borders of Norway and Arendelle was all but a heads breath by her measurement. Stockholm was too warm for her anyway so she decided to travel to a more comfortable place that suited her.

Maybe Östersund would be the perfect place for some time to think aside from Antarctica. And at least it would be the last she would ever see that strange boy.

* * *

><p><strong>-',-<strong>

"You mean we have to travel again?" Jamie groaned as they stopped in front of the bus terminal. His mother shushed him and apologized to her friend with a small smile, "He's just a bit tired. It's been a long flight- Sophie sweetie, where did you get that?"

Mrs. Bennett asked her daughter as Sophie played with a small unicorn figure made of ice. The girl gave a wide beam and simply replied, "Jack!"

The woman sighed and shook her head to her friend, "She just randomly says the name 'Jack' every time she holds something made of ice because Jamie has an imaginary friend named 'Jack Frost'. I think his imagination was rubbing off on her and you wouldn't believe all those stories he tells me!"

Jamie huffed and crossed his arms, "Well Jack's real and the things he does are totally awesome! Like snow days and blizzards and snowmen-"

The said spirit looked at Jamie fondly and ruffled his hair to calm him down, "It's alright sport," he assured him, "As long as you believe in me, I don't need anything else."

It was always easier for children to believe in them because of their innocence and their open minds and hearts. Adults closed it off when they reached their early teens but it didn't worry Jack if Jamie came to that point; Jamie's strong belief of him and the other Guardians will never go away.

Jack looked away from Jamie and saw the dark haired man looking straight at him. Jack's eyes widened with disbelief; _could this man see him?_

The auburn woman poked the man on the arm and asked something in Swedish. As far as Jack can decipher, it was like a question in the same line as _'You ok?_'

The man nodded and took the luggage in his arms like they weighed next to nothing. Sophie yawned and asked her mom to carry her while Jamie sighed as they boarded the bus. Jack winked at him through the window and settled himself on top of the bus and crossed his arms behind his head.

In the bus, there were small pamphlets that were written in Swedish as well and half of it was translated in English. Jamie took one that was folded in his seat and looked at the glossy header that was placed under a blue coat of arms of a moose's head;

_**Östersund, Vinterstaden**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

_**End of Chapter Three**_

Author's Corner

I am on fire! Three updates in a week, either my creative side is overflowing or I had too much time in my hands hahaha so anyways, how was it? And I really wanna know if there is anyone here who lives in Sweden or Norway or even visited it once? I haven't been to those two countries and since my story is taking place there, I really need some intimate info since I can't write them to the places I've been because, really? In the Philippines? Canada?(Almost took this one though) or Japan?

I have to say, the reviews made me so happy that's why I've been updating this sooner than planned. It was supposed to be updated weekly but man, a few days in between? Here are the awesome people who made this update possible:

StarMaster7: Believe me, I didn't want to kill off everybody but it has a vital role which became the turning point for some characters and for you to say that I got Pitch spot on; it made me so deliriously happy I kept grinning in random moments xD

yamaharuka: I can't answer that yet because it will all be revealed within the next chapters

DeniseAgron: You, my dear, never ceased to make me smile. Though I just wrote the words in the lullaby, the melody I used was the song 'Safe and Sound' by Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars. It was originally from the Hunger Games (which I also adore) OST. It had a melancholic feel to it that suited the mood perfectly.

Dramachick4thewin: Of course I would like to chat with you! I'm gonna have to think about your offer since my cousin offered me one as well but I'll keep you posted!

legendaryfangirl: Actually the 'Frozen Heart' was just an impulsive decision I made while typing this. It was never really part of the plot but good thing it worked because it added complications and moments that made it my baby xD Hope to hear from you!

jv2en3: you… have made me the happiest person ever! To know that I made someone share the emotions with the characters was the highest accomplishment I can ever attain as a fanfic writer. And to know that you liked my story enough to say that you're a fan is the biggest honor indeed. I promise to do my best for my beloved readers and I hope I will hear from you soon :)

FangirlAllTheWay: Thank you; hope to hear from you soon as well!

There, for the people who drove my obsession to write this story as best as I possibly could, and I thirst to know about what you think of the current chapter and your opinion about things and the characters.

Thoughts?

Comments?

Suggestions?

Constructive Criticism?

Don't be shy, just review this and let's have a talk in PM. I would love to talk to my readers and know what's in their mind :) And please, NO FLAMES or else I will pull a George R. R. Martin and you all know what will happen right?

P.S. – As soon as I update the next chapter, the story will be rated to T.


	4. A Game of Chases

_**Finne Min Senter**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Four<strong>_

_**A Game of Chases**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

The intense gusts of cold wind whipped around the uninhabited mountain next to the town of Östensund. In a flash, a black streak raced through the snow-covered ground and advanced to the network of caves that was located within the mountain itself. On the mouth of the entrance, the shadow slowly molded into a tall figure and within seconds, the Boogeyman had stepped into the Snow Queen's domain.

He looked around, his eyes swept from the damp ground to the icy stalagmites that hung haphazardly from the ceiling. It was obvious she was here; her hideouts always left an imprint of her unique snowflake on the walls. A drop of water dripped on his shoulder and he eyed the spot with distaste.

"For a queen, one would have thought that she will pick somewhere grander to live in" he drawled as he crossed the caves with inane casualness as if he owned the place. The sheer bleakness and a foreboding feeling in the dark of the cave made him feel comfortable; it was like the heart of the Snow Queen herself, frozen and empty. No one would dare to enter her territory and surely nothing should approach her so easily, he learned that lesson and he'd take all the things he learned by heart.

The Snow Queen wasn't in the cave, which was for certain. If it were otherwise, he would have been pinned to the wall by icicles and a dangerously sharp end of ice would be pushed within mere inches to his throat the minute he made his presence known.

She was always so wary to him like a mouse would be in the presence of a snake that it excited him. And by the way she controlled the deadly element with ease caused him to want her abilities more. Those people in Arendelle feared her, such sweet and body-numbing fear he so desperately wanted to attain, with that kind of power, those Guardians will be but a speck of dust in his feet.

He had never felt that kind of fear since the Dark Ages and Europe's Great Depression; people were so hopeless and their will to live was just a push to have them cower into life's daily struggle. _'Good times'_ he mused as he glided over another path that led to a different part of the cave which might have been the edge of the cliff if he were to fly out.

Amazing what she could do, that Elsa.

The section was lighted by the transparent wall of thick ice that was placed around the cave that she made herself. She created pieces of furniture with her snow and most of them were intricately designed. Few were copied from the modern world but the rest were a keepsake from her time. Like the canopy bed which might have been more for old time's sake rather than a necessity. Spirits don't need mundane things such as sleep or food to keep them strong. What they need was to fuel their center.

His powers and desire may be fueled by the fear of others but his real center... was manipulation.

To deceive and control other beings by making them realize their worst fear, to cripple them with doubts and self-loathing to let him get what he wanted, yes, his center was truly devious. Respect can be earned by either being loved or to be feared. To be loved was easily out of the question for him of course. Only the weak would need the companionship of others and what he saw in Elsa made him realized that in some twisted way; she was the same as he.

Sullen.

Cynical.

Unlovable.

Alone.

In that point of view, maybe he gravitated around her unconsciously because her indifference to everything else made him forget that he was to be feared, to be hated.

Pitch immediately stopped himself and clenched his fist. Where on Earth did that thought come from? He, Pitch Black, master of darkness and ruler of fear need something as foolish as a companion? Why, it was so undeniably disturbing that he almost frightened himself! _The very idea!_

His thoughts dissolved for the moment the sound of a rushing whirlwind entered the cave. Elsa had arrived from her travels. Her cape fluttered around her like a curtain before it fell on the ground.

With every step she took, the floor smoothed into a marble like texture with her signature snowflake enlarged into patterns.

The snow on her hair reflected the sunlight that filled the cave and her eyes fixed solely on what was up ahead. Pitch dissolved himself into the shadows and watched her walk across the cave, her glass shoes echoed through and the coldness increased as she swept her hand like she was trying to swat an irksome fly.

Microscopic dust particles flew from the surfaces of the furniture and a small flurry of snow appeared just above the bed. Soft fluffy snow soon covered the hard ice and the room was significantly brighter than the minute he stepped in there. Without any word, she climbed into the bed and curled in the middle of it like a child.

The woman just laid there for a moment or so before she shifted her position again. Her back was on the bed and she lifted her right hand up and slowly waved her hand around like she was sculpting on thin air. A wisp of misty air gathered around her hand and a simple shape of a bird appeared. It caused Pitch to quirk a brow; the Snow Queen was interested in those filthy things? The closest he had ever gotten near those disgusting creatures was the annoying Toothiana and her fairies. Just the resounding echoes of their squeaks in his head forced him to grit his teeth.

Elsa lowered her mist covered hand and blew softly to it. The mist rolled off and a small fluffy white bird shook off the excess snow and chirped at her. She smiled at the little thing as it rubbed its head with her fingertip. The ball of fluff twittered and flew around her head, her small grin never left her face and Pitch took this as an advantage to feed off her good mood.

As soon as he reformed to his real body, the bird squawked in panic and dashed out of the cave. Elsa looked alarmingly at the direction where the bird flew and her eyes narrowed at the sight of the intruder. With haste, she stood up from her bed and her hands throbbed with the intense thirst to hurl icy knives to the dark entity.

"Hello Snow Queen"

* * *

><p><strong><em>-;-<em>**

"What are you doing here, _Mann i Mørket_?"

Pitch gave a patronizing bow to her and looked around with a mocking expression of disbelief, "Why, to see how you'd been faring, Your Highness. It has been far too long-"

"Apparently it's still not quite long enough" she replied coldly, "Why have you come here?"

Pitch didn't answer and stalked over to the middle of the space and looked above the transparent ice, a cruel smile appeared on his face,

"The moon's always present wherever you go" he observed. He could feel the temperature drop and her temper was rising; a thin mist began to gather on his feet and he found his feet were steadily getting frozen to the ground.

Elsa pursed her light red lips and crossed her arms defiantly, "A child could accuse the moon of following them. It's just in the sky, watching everything else and nothing more."

Pitch shook his feet, kicking away the icicles from his bottom half and walked towards a small table that was pushed to the wall with a mirror placed above it. He stroked the smooth surface with his fingertip; a faint black line traced the trail his finger touched.

"I had never pinned you as someone who valued their appearance" he taunted.

"Enough games Pitch Black. We both know this is not a social visit" she hissed, her hands were dropped to her side and were clenched tightly.

She took a step forward and her head rose to level their gaze. Pitch twitched his hand and she immediately threw a large shard of ice at him. The shadow spirit dodged the flying projectile and materialized on the other side of the cave. The ice hit the wall and shattered into a million pieces; each piece reflected the room, Elsa and Pitch before they fell on the ground with a 'Plink!'

Pitch held up a hand before Elsa could move and calmly stated, "I'm not here to fight Snow Queen. I'm here for... ah, a proposal."

"And that would be me joining your side as a minion? I have given you my answer years ago _Mann i Mørket_, and the answer still remains the same." Elsa grounded out and the cold wind blew towards the cave's opening, pushing him out.

Pitch's expression didn't change and dusted his shoulder, "Of course that will be your automatic response to my offer but I'm sure when the time comes, you will be looking things the other way. My way."

Elsa's glare didn't recede even as when he disappeared from her view and the dark atmosphere that surrounded the air in his presence were filtered by the soft breeze. She closed her eyes and breathed in the air deeply, calm washed over her and she opened her eyes. Her eyes drank in the sight of the cavern where she made into her sanctuary that was not as peaceful and safe as he ice castle in Arendelle. There wasn't anyone who will be able to hurt her again, to feel spiteful and unloved, no one to shut out, no one to hurt.

No Olaf, no Marshmallow, no Arendelle...

No Anna...

Elsa groggily returned to her bed but this time, she propped her back against the wall and tucked her knees to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs.

She's alone, she's lonely, but she's safe.

Her hand pressed against her chest and waited for a heartbeat.

Nothing.

And it will always be empty.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>_

Jamie shivered as he sat down on the porch of Cassidy's (his mom's friend) home. They lived in a big house that was not far from the docks. True to the city's motto, 'Winter City', the air was chilly and snow kept popping in and out as it pleased, like Jack. His scarf was tied around his neck and he was pretty sure his ears had frozen off. It wasn't this cold in Pennsylvania and the temperature drenched his sense of adventure for the mean time. It didn't stop his best friend from enjoying it though.

The day that Jack Frost stops having fun with will be the day the world will stop spinning.

Sophie laughed happily as she chased their hosts' massive dog named Felix. He missed Abby who was staying at his grandma's house. The dog was really huge though and it gave Sophie quick rides on its back.

"Can't argue that the small barrel on its neck is funny though" Jack snickered as he eyes the said mini barrel on the dog's collar. The dark haired man, Aron, had explained (in broken English) that Felix was once a search and rescue dog who aided the lost mountaineers that were trapped in an avalanche. The alcohol in the barrel rumor was a common misconception of course but Cassidy fastened it to Felix just because it looked cute.

It's been three days since they've arrived and while Sweden was great and all, Jamie couldn't seem to find anything cool to do. Most of the folks here talked a bit of English and while he could understand them just fine, he couldn't find anyone who he could connect with. Not even with Aron and Cassidy's kid, Erik, was any fun because he was older than him for four years and sent a kind of mean vibe.

So there he was, stuck with nothing else to do except to sit on the porch as Sophie sat on Felix's back as the dog happily chase Jack around.

Jack chuckled as the dog tried to catch the end of his staff but always failed to do so. His thoughts on the weird girl stopped for a moment and focused on trying to get Jamie have some fun as what Sophie was currently having. He wanted to blow some of his magic snow on the boy but he wanted his friend to have fun in his own way.

He looked at the porch when Jamie stood up and stretched his arms. Jack sneaked a glance at the roof and slightly tipped his staff on the column. The ceiling made the slightest quiver and a pile of snow fell on top of him. Two gloved hands jumped out of the pile and Jamie's head popped out as well,

"Why do you always do that?" he asked, his face was tinged pink and so were his ears. Jack threw a stick in front of Felix who ran after it with Sophie still clinging on its back, before he returned his attention to Jamie.

"Maybe I'm just training you for future purposes" he said cheekily.

Jamie raised a brow and mimicked the word, "What do you mean 'future purposes?' It's not like I'm gonna hike Mount Everest or something'"

Jack shrugged and leaned on the column, "So how's it going with the Sweden family?" He wasn't much of a listener and man, can those women talk. They went on for hours and hours that Jack was surprised that Jamie didn't try to jump out of the window and make a run for it. Jack spared a glance at Sophie and thought, _'Don't ever grow up like that Sophie'_.

He looked around the neighborhood. The street looked safe enough and there was a nearby park a couple of blocks from here. If only Jamie brought his sled- A light bulb clicked in Jack's head and flew over to Jamie, "Hey, wanna ride down a snow hill?"

Jamie's face scrunched into a confused look and looked around "But there's no sled!"

The spirit of winter winked at him and assured that he's got everything covered.

Jamie had finally convinced his mom to let him to the park but only if Felix accompanied him. It was an odd suggestion that came from Cassidy but Aron explained that once Felix was partnered with a person, he will always lead them back to the house. Sophie wanted to go as well but as soon as she sniffled, she was bundled up in warm duvets and placed in front of the fireplace where the flames warmed her body.

The walk to the park was pretty uneventful for Jack's taste and he kept a sharp eye out for the girl. He didn't even see her face but he's sure she saw his reflection at least. The trees were taller and the landscape was more nature-friendly than Pennsylvania. When they reached the front gate, Jamie looked around to see no one but a man holding a rake was present.

"What's the plan?" Jamie questioned, only one side of his mouth was moving that earned an inquiring look from Jack.

"What's with your mouth?"

"Can't let anybody see me talking to myself. It was easier to explain back home since my friends believe you but here, I'm gonna be the crazy kid from America" he answered and quickly closed his mouth when he saw the gardener looking at him. He waved at the man who returned hesitantly before he turned back to his work.

Jamie released the mouthful of air he didn't realized he was holding and gazed at the park before he saw Jack flying closer to the man and prodded his staff to the plastic bin the man kept the leaves. Jamie couldn't stop his laughter as the man jumped up and scratched his head as the fallen leaves were suddenly covered with frost.

Jack grinned to himself and watched the confused man's retreat out of the park, still scratching his head with the sudden upturn of the frost in his bin.

The park was a lot quieter than the ones they had back home. Jamie walked to the swings but the spirit intercepted his path with a twinkle in his blue eyes, "So, how about that ride?"

The boy looked around expectantly but he turned back with a confused look once again, "I told you we have no sled!" Felix wagged his tail which brushed the snow on the ground.

The Guardian looked around once more and saw a discarded wooden plank near the bench. He tapped his staff on the board and ice enveloped it. It slid across the ground and onto Jamie's feet. The boy whooped at the sight and studied the entire shimmering board. The mount was exactly the same as his back home and Jack's frost patterns decorated the board.

Jamie jumped on it immediately and held his hand up and yelled, "Let's go!" Felix barked happily and jumped on board as well. With a wide smile, Jack started to run with Jamie and the sled hot on his heels before he took flight with the wind and let it led him around the unfamiliar path. People around gasped and some pointed as they raced on the sidewalk, a trail of frost were left in their wake.

They twisted and turned on every street and far too soon for their liking; they were right back to the park. The Bennett boy jumped out and high fived Jack and began to recount their free run when a horde of local children who followed them ran to the park and saw Jamie and his sled. Jamie stopped his rambling and stared widely at the amount of children behind him. All of them talked in fast Swedish and kept pointing at the sled. He held up his hands and loudly stated,

"Wait! I-I can't understand you!"

A tiny boy who wore a bull-knit cap piped up, "Oh, American?"

He nodded his head and said, "Yeah!"

They talked amongst themselves and soon, they were asking him what he did earlier in English. Jamie blushed and was amazed on how they can change their language while he was stuck in their country without any knowledge to their local tongue.

"How did you do that?" a girl asked.

Jamie looked at Jack who nodded back at him in an encouraging manner. "Jack Frost helped me!" The other children stared at him as he began to draw Jack on the snow with a stick. Soon, he was telling them stories about the Guardians and they were silent as they listened and absorbed his stories. The dog yawned and lay next to Jamie as he continued on.

"He'll be a great story-teller" Jack said as he sat on the branch of the tree. The birds sang around the surrounding trees and a squirrel ran through the branches with a piece of nut in its mouth.

Something flew by and he saw it on the corner of his eye. He had never saw that kind of bird before, it was so puffy and round that it reminded him a bird he once saw in Japan. He watched it fumble and slowly landed on his branch. Jack held out a hand and the bird tilted its head before it jumped right on his palm and cheeped. He waited for it to fly off because of his unnatural temperature or at least the frost that will come forth any moment to scare it away but it stayed.

"Weird little fella aren't you?" he whispered as he pulled his hand closer to his face. Crystal blue eyes widened as the bird shook its round body once and snow puffed out of its feathers. He had never seen anything quite like it. A mark was found on its forehead, a snowflake with geometrical patterns and a shape of a flower on the middle of it.

"Where did you come from little guy?" he asked. The bird looked at him for moment as if considering his question before it flew up around his head once and went off.

Jack turned around to see Jamie still busy with his story and Felix lying next to him protectively. _'I'll be back in a jiffy'_ he thought as he sped through the trees and called out to his long-time friend,

"Hey wind, let's follow that bird!"

The wind threw him up in the sky and pushed him to the north direction. He found his balance and rode the wind, his eyes locked on to the bird. The bird looked behind it once or twice to make sure he was right on its tail. It fumbled a few times like it's its first time to fly over long distances. Soon, they were already out of the city and into the mountainous borders with ice capped valleys.

The bird flew further into the thick fog that surrounded the mountains and finally went into a small, unnoticeable opening.

Jack jumped to the ground and looked around the cave. His feathered companion flew in unceasingly and maybe it was safe for him to come in as well. But before he could take another step, a whistle in the wind broke the silence and he found himself being pushed back to a wall. He blinked at the dark of the cave and with the sliver of light that came from one of the openings. A roll of icy mist came forth and before he knew it, he came face to face with the girl he saw on the street.

She was pale, a shade of purple eye shadow on her eyes and a light dust of freckles over her cheeks. Her lips were light red and her silvery-blond bangs were slicked back while her braid stopped just above her elbow. Jack detached himself from the wall and looked around the cave with his mouth wide open,

"You have the same power as me?"

His words made her light blue eyes widen and she zeroed in her sights on his staff. Elsa's ice began to frost every corner of the cave without her knowledge as Jack cautiously lifted his hand up with his palm facing the ceiling.

"Here, I'll show you" he coaxed. A snowball appeared from his hand and turned into a solid blue sphere. She gasped and took a couple of steps back with her hands clenched against her chest. After all those centuries, her only existed communication was with Pitch and it was a mixture of hostility and rage but to see this one; a male spirit who has the same powers was her now stood in front of her. It was all too much. So Elsa did what she does the most, flee.

With a silent plea to her ice, she shrouded herself in her snow and ran from the caves as a snowstorm. She looked back when she felt a strong gale behind her and the scene shocked her to the core.

With the help of the wind and his agile flight, he was following her. He had a determined look on his face that was not unlike Anna's and he then pointed his staff to her. Elsa's snow immediately formed a protective cocoon around her in mid-air but Jack's snowball managed to slip through its defenses and hit her on the left side of her shoulder. It didn't hurt, not one bit but the shock of_feeling_ something cold to her rocked her out of her concentration and before she knew what was going on, she was falling.

_**-',-**_

_**End of Chapter Four**_

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><p>Ahh. Don't you just love cliff hangers?<p>

And… NO this will not be a JackxElsaxPitch fic! There won't be any romantic connection between the Snow Queen and the Boogeyman! This is Jelsa people! JELSA! And can you see the connection I made with the story and the original story of the Snow Queen? Oh and if you wanna see what I pictured the bird looks like, search the picture of the Japanese Long-Tailed Tit (Warning: Girly squealing may ensue)

A whole lot of thanks to everyone who reviewed:

lili2865: Ah, he will come around… eventually. No spoilers though!

FangirlAllTheWay: I'm glad you liked this

DeniseAgron: Yep, I'm a half-Filipina so I stayed in the Philippines every vacation time. Oh thanks so much for pointing out the errors! It's not a great idea to post a story when you're only running with coffee and a restless muse that won't leave your brain unless the story's all typed in! And thanks as well for the character analysis. I know Elsa's a bit of a grump here but she also did that in the first half of Frozen so.. yeah. And I just imagined Jack as a really energetic kid with a lot of humor and cleverness. Hope to hear from you soon love!

NightmareHeartx: I'm so sorry you didn't get a chance to review! But it really puts a smile on my face when you wrote that you can actually feel what the characters were feeling as well. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

legendaryfangirl: Haha, at least I nailed them right? But truth to be told, I really love writing Pitch. He was cunning, you don't really know what goes on into that mind of his and the way he plays his plans out was so… invigorating. Oh my, I think I idolize him hahah jk! Hope to hear from you soon!

Dramachick4thewin: Thanks for understanding :) But I really don't mind any point outs or pointers if it will help the progress of the story! Sorry I haven't PM'ed you yet because my account's been crazy, maybe some network thing since I can't reply to PM's

StarMaster7: Hahaha because we all need those kinds of encounters. And because you asked, I complied ;)

I noticed something people… you guys always reviewed in numbers divisible by 7! No, really. How about we try anything close to eight or nine?

Nah I'm not gonna force you to review if you don't wanna but I really need your feedback if you really like this story or not because c'mon, anyone can hit the favorite or alert button but a reader would have their opinion in the matter and as the writer, I would like to know your thoughts so, why not review? Plus, reviews made my blood and creativity run high which made fast updates possible.

Translation:

_Mann I_ _Mørket – _Literally 'Man of Darkness'

Thoughts?

Comments?

Suggestions?

Constructive Criticism?

Then hurry on and review! Or PM or whatever! Just no flames please!


	5. Names and Fun Times

_**Finne Min Senter**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Five<strong>_

_**Names and Fun Times**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

It was like everything was in slow motion as the girl hurtled towards the ground. It took several milliseconds before Jack came to his senses and flew after her. He reached out to scoop her into his arms but in an instant, she turned around and threw shards of ice right at him. Jack easily dodged it with a surprised look; he was trying to help her and she threw ice at him! His tenacious nature didn't thwart his objective to help her even if she refused it though. He flew down fast and when he rushed past her, he held his arms up and caught her with ease.

He opened his mouth to speak when he got a handful of snow jammed into his mouth and she rushed out of his hold and flew down to the forest.

_'You've gotta be kidding me!_' he yelled in his mind incredulously as he watched her cape flow with the wind as she ran. He spat the snow from his mouth and wiped his face with the sleeve of his hoodie, he had to admit though; it was kinda fun.

Jack dived down to the branches and, with uncommon grace and agility that can't be found in anyone else, weaved through the trees and followed her as she ran by foot, scattering ice dust as she did so. Finally, she came across the clearing and the woods were divided by the river. The water was so clear that you could see every pebble on the riverbed and the fishes whose fins flashed against the sunlight.

He crouched under the tangles of branches and watched her look around to see if she had lost him before she turned her attention to the river. Ever so slightly, she knelt towards the surface and tried to touch it with the tip of her finger but immediately retracted her hand away from the water. The forest was silent except for the rushing waters along the river and a little chirp that grew louder and louder with every beat.

The woman stood there, watching her reflection as the bird came to view. But instead of heading to the woman, it changed its course to his hiding place.

The bird twittered madly and flew around Jack's head. He tried to swat the bird off and at least scare it away by throwing snowballs at it but the bird just sang a five note rhythm and tugged at his hood. Jack waved his arm around and with his incessant waving; he lost his footing and fell on the ground with a thump.

The woman gasped at the sight of him. She turned around to run again when he jumped in front of her and threw his staff on the ground.

"See? I'm not going to hurt you" he assured her. Her posture was still defensive so he took on another approach and lowered his hands to his side.

"The name's Jack. Jack Frost, Guardian of Fun" he would have added the statement 'maybe you've heard of me' but it didn't look like she's in the mood for that. He watched her expression change from suspicion and fright to honest curiosity when he told her his name.

_"Jokul Frosti?"_ she asked and tilted her head a bit and her eyebrows knitted together.

Jack scratched the back of his head lightly and nodded, "In some countries, yeah. I mean it's better than 'Old Man Winter' anyway. How about you? What's yours?"

She blankly stared before she opened her lips and said, "I am no one"

At this, he didn't even bother to hide a snort and crossed his arms, "Really? You're gonna act all mysterious? C'mon I gave you my name so, I don't know, show the same courtesy."

Her face scrunched up in an irritated manner and clenched her hands on her side, a cold wind blew around her and she haughtily held his gaze, "I never asked you to give me your name."

A sudden picture of Bunnymund popped into Jack's mind that made him roll his eyes and kicked his staff to his hands. She flinched but then relaxed after he placed it on his shoulders and hung his hands around it, "Well aren't you little Miss Sunshine. Either you give me your name, or I'll make one for you"

Silence draped around them before the woman, with her eyes shining with frustration and her hands crossed on her chest, pursed her lips and hissed, "Are you always this infuriating?"

"I always do leave an impression with everyone I come across with. Usually with frosts and ice but then again, only a few can really appreciate my charms" he smiled, exposing his brilliantly white teeth. He inwardly smirked when he saw her casually roll her eyes and ran a hand through her hair but frowned when she turned to leave.

The puffy bird flew steadily to her before it landed on her shoulder with a chirp to his direction. A thought came across his mind and snapped his attention to the woman,

"You made that?"

Her body stiffened even as the bird played with the hair behind her ear. Her shoulders slumped and looked at him with the corner of her eye, "Yes, and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone of my existence"

Jack was confused. How can anyone not let their existence be known to everybody else? Heck, he tried to get someone to believe in him for three centuries, it was just last year he finally got recognition and quite frankly, he loved the attention. The faith that was entrusted to him, the friendship he gained and the never ending happiness that swelled in his chest whenever kids would have fun in the snow he brought.

So he asked her, "Don't you ever get lonely?"

His question got her to look back at him with guarded eyes as the bird rubbed its head against the side of her cheek. She didn't say anything at first and all the while, she just petted the bird's back with her fingertip.

He planted his staff on the ground and sat on the crook, imitating the posture of 'The Thinker' as he did so. "You might want to hurry it up a bit y'know" he drawled.

Finally, in what seemed to be in hours of quiet, she muttered, "It's always better to be alone."

Jack shrugged, true he had been a loner as well, but at least he kept in touch with the others except for Bunny because of the stunt he pulled with the ice eggs. It was nice to talk with others; he would visit the Workshop instead of busting in and have a chat with North about the toys, he would travel in the nights with Sandy as he gave the children sweet dreams and he would occasionally bump into Tooth and her fairies who always sighed weirdly whenever they saw him.

He kept his head down and looked at the snow that slowly gathered to the ground. He didn't make the flurry so he turned to the girl but she was already gone.

He searched the forest for her but his efforts were futile, she had really left. With a tired groan, he began to jump up the branches, frosting the bark as he did so and called out to the wind, "Wind, take me back to Jamie!"

In the hollow of a dead frozen tree, Elsa watched Jack Frost take flight as the wind lifted him to the air and pushed him to the direction of the city. "I'm fine with being alone" she whispered. She cupped the bird that was hopping on the branch and held it up to the sky,

"Go little one, you can't stay with me"

The bird tilted its head and stayed but finally used its wings when she dropped her hands beneath leaned on the tree and closed her eyes, the vivid images of her past life flowed behind her eyelids and her lower lip quivered.

"I'm fine."

Jack came to the park with a surly looking Jamie and a missing dog to welcome him back. The winter spirit frowned and flew to his friend. "What's the matter kid?" At first, Jamie didn't say anything and sat on the bench and laid his head down on the table before he started to mumble under his breath. Jack knew what he was doing, he saw this kind of behavior dozens of times and it was glaringly obvious. Jamie was sulking.

Jack walked to his friend without leaving any footprint on the snow, sat on the table and slung his staff on his shoulder. He took a deep breath and waited in for ten seconds before he casually said, "So~ what's the name of the kid who I'll be freezing today?"

Jamie's ears turned red and crossed his shoulders, "Nothing. Just something stupid" he continued to grumble and pick at the loose threads on his gloves.

"You won't get so riled up if it's something stupid"

Finally, the boy sighed and sat up, his face was miserable and his shoulders slumped, "It was a couple of teenagers. They passed by when I was telling other kids about the Guardians."

"And?" Jack asked, not liking the way his story was going. He's going to give those kids a heck of a brain freeze-

"They threw snowballs at me and called me a loon. Felix tried to scare them away but..." he turned to the dog that was under the snow pile. Jack would have thought he suffocated but the slow puff of icy mist that exited on one end point that the giant was simply sleeping.

Okay, forget about brain freeze, he's going to give them hypothermia. He gripped his staff tight and stood up, "Alright, which way did they go?"

Jamie lifted a brow and looked at the exit, "That way I think. Why?"

A sinister smirk made its way to his face and pulled the hood over his head, "Let's just say revenge is a dish always best served below freezing temperature." Jamie opened his mouth to retaliate but Jack just pushed him on the ice sled and woke the dog up.

The sled automatically moved on its own and while Jamie shouted at him with Felix bounding after the sled with his tail wagging madly; Jack just cracked his knuckles and twirled his staff between his fingers, "I'm already in the Naughty List anyway so let's make this count."

-;-

The next day, Jamie couldn't believe the news he saw on the television. At first, he thought it was some scene from a Swedish film but upon closer inspection, he recognized the four teenagers who threw snowballs at him the other day. They were frozen entirely to an alley wall and their eyes were moving around desperately while the authorities thawed the ice from their bodies. And on the wall, there was a message written in an all too familiar scrawl in English;

_**"Jack Frost was here!"**_

The message was so clear and written in dry ice that the police were baffled by this. It took a lot out of Jamie to resist the urge to pull his mother into the room and show her that Jack does exist. But he felt a bit sorry for the boys; Jack was really scary whenever he gets angry though he never received the brunt of it.

The deadly snowstorm and blizzards were already signs of his temper but they were so rare that some had seen it as a phenomena or maybe even a freak accident in the weather forecast. He looked down at his breakfast, pancakes with thick maple syrup and fruits that Cassidy had graciously provided while Sophie ate her meal while wearing a dark pink sweater.

He lifted his sights out of the window and saw the sun rising to the sky. It promised a clear sunny day but with Jack around, you should expect the unexpected.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

"Okay, one more time. Take. Me. To. Her" Jack slowly spoke to the white bird but it just stared and hopped on the branch. The little fluff had followed him after he froze those teenagers and now it acted like it can't understand him. He groaned out loud and threw his arms up, "This is getting me nowhere! Look at me; I'm talking to a bird!"

The bird whistled its five note song and bobbed its head as if it agreed with him. With a shake on the head, Jack crossed his arms and tried to get the bird's attention,

"Let's try this one" He began to draw on the snow with his staff, the shape of a head appeared and he continued to draw on the ground before he stepped back and admire his handiwork. It was the crudely drawn sketch of the girl but he left the face blank. He could never draw faces except for the two dots and smiley lips. He chuckled and drew an angry face instead on the blank space and wrote the words 'Sunshine' under the drawing.

He studied the drawing and nodded to himself, "Yep, mirror image. Can't tell the difference."

The bird twittered and hopped to the ground next to the drawing. The way it tilted its head always reminded him of Tooth but then he remembered she was part-bird so it was no wonder they had lots in common. Too bad this bird can't talk and it won't lead him to its creator.

Jack tapped the end of his crook against his forehead lightly before he snapped his fingers and made a snowflake that looked like the girl's. He whistled the tune to the bird who echoed the sound and focused its attention to the snowflake. After a bit of hopping and flapping, it finally took off.

It was tough to follow the bird's lead. For one, it kept wobbling and Jack had to keep on constant guard before its wings gave out. Two, it led him to dead ends like the park, the streets and to his embarrassment, the lingerie store just past the corner cafe. And thirdly, it's molting. Not like an ordinary bird with its feathers but it sheds snow and it kept getting in his eyes.

In what seemed to be hours of nonstop flying with unfruitful results, they finally landed to the clearing where they officially met each other.

He hid behind the tree as she sat on the ground with several books on hand. He was envious with that ability of hers. Whenever he tried to hold something longer than a minute, frost would cover it completely and wreck it. But she can hold like a normal person and she looked no different from other people.

With every page she turned, he watched her eyes move rapidly and absorbed the information that was written there. Her eyebrows would knit whenever she read something she didn't know or like and a quirk on her lips when she replaced the tome with a colorful book that was clearly meant for entertainment. Maybe she's fine with being alone but the thought of having books as company was so downright boring that Jack had to remedy that.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

Elsa giggled quietly as she read through the story of a simpleton who owned a magic goose. It was nice to relax on days like that and it was a treat to read books she'd never seen before. It was a risk but she managed to snag some books from the local bookshop and brought it out here. It was reasonable to read it in the shop but her emotions were usually entwined with the atmosphere in the book that sometimes her ice would spontaneously burst through the air as she laughed at funny parts or the thin fog would roll in whenever the suspense got to her. Her snowflakes would stop at midair whenever there was a somber plot in a story and the sheet of hail when it was tragic. She avoided the love stories at all costs because she couldn't emphasize with the emotion.

Besides, some of those books contained superficial kinds of infatuation like handsome men and picture perfect girls, recycled love triangle plots and the 'dark and emotionally constipated guy who will learn the meaning of love by a bubbly and optimistic girl'. That was not a good basis for a relationship. Most of it contained selfish reasons like self-esteem and ego and they reflected humans' delirious and sugar-coated side of love.

She returned her thoughts back to the book and let the smile play in her face, now it was the boy, the two lasses and a priest who was stuck to the goose. It might have been such a sight that she would have clenched her sides and laugh without inhibition.

"What's so funny about a goose?"

A voice came from behind her. Out of habit, ice needles sprung from the ground and she stood up with her hand ready to shoot the needle from their base. Her posture relaxed when she saw Jack Frost tiptoe on the needles with a carefree expression.

It bothered her, that attitude of his. Maybe he had no responsibilities or worries at all but what angered her most was the way he popped out of thin air and caught her off guard. It was the same as Pitch but his presence was more welcomed than the shadow man's. He jumped from the needle to the ground and leaned down to read the titles of the books. With a frown, Elsa gathered the books in her arms and shot another annoyed look at him,

"What are you doing here?"

He shrugged off her foul mood and read the titles that peeked under her arm, "_Snow White', 'Little Matchgirl', 'Goldilocks and the Thee Bears_', _'The Golden Goose'_? Man, how old are you, five? Those are kids' storybooks!"

Elsa felt heat on her cheeks for the first time in forever and snapped at him, "I'm over two hundred years old you hellion! One is never old enough to find joy in literature" she huffed and turned to the bird that was happily chirping as it flew around her head. The sun was in the middle of the horizon, still a long day ahead. She walked to the hollowed tree and placed the books in it, there was plenty of time to return it but for now, it was time for a leisure walk. Except-

"So, what do you do to pass the time?"

She completely forgot about him.

With a growl, she placed a hand to her temple and tugged at the end of her braid. She will not have him ruin her day and with that, she decided to ignore him. So she just juts her chin up and walked by him without answering his question. She had resisted Anna's invitations to play with her when they were younger so surely she could ignore his presence altogether. And for once, he was silent.

She let a proud smirk creep into her lips as she walked away, after all, she was a queen so she can do whatever she wa-

_PLOP!_

A gasp exited her mouth and felt the bits of snow fall from the strands of hair to the back of her neck. She was so shocked that she missed the bouncy laugh that echoed throughout the clearing. He threw a snowball at her. That wretched _boy _threw a snowball at her. _Her!_ With curled lips and her eyes flashed dangerously, she turned around to face him and lifted both of her hands up. The ground trembled and snow began to gather into the space above them. Jack stopped his laughter and gulped as he took in the sight of a snowball as large as North's sleigh and she lifted it as easily as one could lift a feather.

"Wait, let's not do anything rash-"

"You dare to challenge _me_ in a snow fight? You have no chance against me"

Her challenge sparked the natural competitiveness in him. He held out his staff, pointing it at her and he narrowed his eyes as he grinned condescendingly, "We'll see who gets the last laugh, Sunshine."

_**-',-**_

_**End of Chapter Five**_

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><p>Author's Corner:<p>

I don't think this was a good chapter, what do guys think?

Of course, this update was made possible by these awesome readers!

HuaiYin: Aw thanks, I'll try to keep it real!

juna0209: Yep, it's Norwegian for 'Finding My Center'

legendaryfangirl: Haha those are a lot of questions but they will be answered soon enough I promise!

StarMaster7: Actually I really wanted to try a cliffie! Hm, maybe I should do another one? Haha anyways, it's great that you liked their meeting I was afraid it would be an epic fail.

IMAGINARYFAIRY: Don't worry; I'll finish this within a month or so (fingers crossed!)

DeniseAgron: Yeah! I hope you liked this chapter and thank goodness it didn't came off as a romantic exchange because, brrrr, Pitch and Elsa? Hmmm maybe some liked it but I sure don't. And the bird will be a regular in this story hahaha so you'll see lot of the fluffy birdie!

The Queen of Valencia Torgue: Oh thanks for reviewing it.

Bella: Well I am indeed honored to have someone love this as much as you do. I do try to keep their personalities intact as well as some character development like Jamie's.

RizaHawkeye1: Well I did so I hope you liked it.

I know it's not as long as the others but don't worry, I'm building it up to make better chapters.

Thoughts?

Comments?

Suggestions?

Constructive Criticism?

Then review or PM me and let's have a talk.

NO FLAMES PLEASE


	6. Of Friends and Trust

**_Finne Min Senter_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter Six<br>Of Friends and Trust_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

If Jack was to summarize their snowball fight, he would have used one word to describe it. And that word would be: _epic_. The whole scenery was covered with ice and snow of unbelievable proportions it was like they were all painted in bluish white. They both emerged from their forts, Jack's large shield-like wall was pelted with numerous snowballs and even slates of hail that would have bruised him big time. 'Sunshine' as he called her, cautiously peeked from her castle fortress that was made with the smoothest ice.

The bird was only visible with by its inky black eyes and the rest if its body was invisible against the snow and the forest animals warily looked around at the mess they've created. Without any reason, Jack threw his head back and gave a loud laugh that echoed through the whole forest.

"Now _that_ was fun!"

Sunshine couldn't help but grin at this and nodded her head, "Indeed it was. So, who was the victor?"

He stopped his laugh and crossed his arms, "Me of course!"

Her eyes widened and her face scrunched up to a look of outrage and offense, "What ever gave you that conclusion? I'll have you know that my snowballs were stronger than yours. Your fortress will give out if I threw a snowflake at it!" True, his fort was a wreck and it will fall any second now but he wasn't the type to back down without a fight though,

"Yours may be a bit stronger but mine was a lot faster."

It was another fact that came to light during their battle. Whenever Sunshine would throw a snowball at him, his would immediately return fire with five or six balls in record time. Her normally composed stature was now slumped and her hair was a bit disarrayed. He watched as her nose wrinkle with displeasure and looked at her small ice castle with dread.

There were small fractures and fissures that marred the once blemish-free castle. A few more and would come tumbling down to a heap of icy shards. Finally, they came to a conclusion that it was a draw. Truthfully, Jack didn't actually care about the results, all that mattered was that they- she, had fun. And though he was a Guardian, a protector of children everywhere, he saw a kindred spark in her that caught his attention.

In a way, she reminded him of little girls who gets scared of the dark and would run to their parents' room and hide under the blankets. But at the same time, she acted so mature, grown-up. A contradiction of sorts in one spirit.

Sunshine looked around the scene and frowned, "We better clean this up." He didn't move as she began to sweep her hand through the air and snow followed her movement in perfect harmonization. It was like watching a conductor lead an orchestra but this time, she was just cleaning.

"And why should we be cleaning? There's no one here except for the animals and I don't think they minded that much" he queried with a bored expression on his face. Thinking about work was so troublesome and his job with the frosts was more like a past time than an actually job.

She didn't say anything as she continued to move her hands around and finally went to the clearing. The downward curve of her lips alerted him as she pressed her palms against the ice. She was muttering under her breath and he walked to her in silent strides.

The ice didn't melt and pressed the ice harder like trying to force it to thaw. The ice steadily grew from the surface down to the middle where the fish tried to escape its icy grip. There was a noise she made with the back of her throat. Sort of like a strangled cry before she stood up and dusted the snow that stuck to her dress.

"Can't you just melt it?" he asked. He had seen her manipulate the ice from hail to snow; surely she can vaporize it as well.

Her hand twitched and let it drop to her sides. "I can't. I just... can't." Her tone sounded so arduous, like she was carrying a heavy burden. He had thought about putting a hand on her shoulder as a sign of comfort but they weren't _that_ close, she wasn't really the warmest person to come in contact with, and he'd met Bunny first.

It must have been hours since they've started the snowball fight because the sky was now colored with the soft orange glow that mingled with blue and purple. He could see the moon and the stars that twinkled in the sky.

"You better go" she whispered.

He lowered his gaze down to her and saw that she was also looking at the moon with her big light blue eyes. The moon's image reflected on the pool of her eyes before she turned to him and clasped her hands in front of her like a child being scolded,

"As much as I do admit that today was rather enjoyable, it is of utmost importance for you to know that it shouldn't be followed by another."

"And why is that?" he asked nonchalantly

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

"Because I want to be left alone" she sighed as if she had telling him that over and over again. Can spirits have a migraine? Because she could feel her temple throb and the back of her head being strained back. It was a bad idea to spend time with him even for a minute. He made her miss the company of others, the fun of having someone to talk to, to laugh and to share opinions with. Even to argue but she didn't have such luxury. She has to be alone, she cursed herself to be so.

"Do you really want to?"

His voice was so uncharacteristically soft that she would have dismissed it as the wind. His questions had always hit the tender spots of her being. It was dangerous, he was dangerous. If she got caught up with the luxury of having someone else besides herself, it would result with someone getting hurt. Or frozen.

_'But he's immortal'_ a traitorous voice in the darkest crevices of her mind piped in.

True; she avoided others because not only that they can't see her but they were also mortal. Death was inevitable for humans and the pain and grief was more than she could handle for eternity, never mind that she witnessed her sister's death and was left behind because the moon didn't let her cross over.

'I'm not going to risk it' she decided. She wanted safe choices so she won't regret it. One bad choice can lead to terrible consequences.

So she gathered her wits and answered him in the same icy tone she had used before, "Yes, and don't even try to follow me again."

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

To say that Jack was stubborn was the understatement of the millennium. He stayed close to her like a shadow and would prod and poke just to get a reaction, from the forest to her icy sanctuary which his eyes swept over in awe. Maybe he was being childish but he really hated being ignored and she was determined to do so. Sometimes she would even act as if he wasn't there like sculpting things or reading a book that's a bit more in her age range. Maybe she took his teasing to heart and tried to show him that she was a mature young woman who he can't persuade to do anything.

He would ask her multiple questions and they were either ignored or make her unwillingly react. The first one she reacted was to his twenty-fourth question of the day,

"Do you want to build a snowman? I bet mine's better"

The sound of a glass breaking resonated through the cave and he flinched at it. She was glued on the ground before she regained her senses and hastily gathered the cup with her hands. It fixed itself as she placed it on the table. He didn't dare pry for a reason because her mood soured tenfold before she returned to her usual aloof temperament for a day and a half.

The questions sometimes confused her; specifically the same one North had asked him before.

"What's your center?"

They were walking, more likely she was since he was lazily floating in midair, through the forest when he said it. Her eyebrow rose and tilted her head to the left.

Within three days of following her, he had learned her body movements and their meaning. Pursed lips and redness of her cheeks whenever she gets angry (he learned that pretty quickly), scrunched eyebrows and a bit of lip biting if she was impatient, a pink dust over the cheeks if she was ever embarrassed (rare and his personal favourite) and lastly, her half-lidded eyes and lost look and the sudden stop of snowflakes in the air indicated her sad mood.

The head tilting's direction also had its meaning but he hadn't figured out what the right side meant... yet.

"What do you mean a 'center'? Does it have anything to do with being a 'Guardian'?"

Sunshine's sharp, he had to give her that. He stood upright beside her, "A center is your special quality, your core. It's what makes you, you" he explained with his best efforts. He didn't have a Russian doll to use it as a conduit but she might have understood it.

She shook her head and let the bird sit on top of her head, "I have no center. Plus, you haven't really explained to me about that 'Guardian of Fun' title of yours. Was it bestowed upon you?"

Jack stopped for a minute and an idea popped in his head. "Hey, do you know North- I mean Santa Claus?"

She stared at him like he had gone crazy before she hesitantly answered, "Yes, his story was popular back in Aren- I mean, back from where I came from" Jack pumped his hand inwards and took a hold of her hand. In an instant, a thick patch of ice erupted between them and lost his grip on her.

_'Right, no touching'_ he reminded himself. He jumped back and said, "I'm gonna tell you all about the Guardians".

* * *

><p>This trip was a total bust, the Bennett boy decided. Jack hadn't returned from who-knows-where and he's stuck in the house with nothing to do but browse on the internet. He tried to play with the neighborhood kids but some had stayed away from him ever since the bullying incident. Others were friendly but they had school to attend to so he spent his days indoors with nothing to do but watch the sky and waited for the first frost on the window to announce Jack's arrival.<p>

He was lonely. His mom called it the 'winter blues' and it made him look at her like she's gone crazy, because it wasn't even winter yet. But he did feel down and there were not enough sweets and Swedish meatballs to fill Jack's space in his day. He trudged through the dark hallway and into the guestroom where he and Sophie shared a bunk bed.

Felix was there, his tail wagged frantically when he saw Jamie and jumped from the bed. The bed quivered and the springs creaked as the dog's weight was removed. He reared his front paws on Jamie's shoulder and nuzzled his wet nose to his face. Jamie laughed for the first time in a week since Jack's disappearance, it was a bit lonely without Jack but he can manage.

Or maybe he can't.

He finished his nights looking out the window and waited for any signs of Jack coming. Did he get in trouble? Was there something wrong? Did Pitch come back? He quickly squished the last one away.

Jack said that as long as you don't fear the Boogeyman, he won't bother you anymore.

What Jamie didn't know was how terribly wrong Jack was.

* * *

><p>Elsa just sat on the crystal chair she conjured up as Jack continued to explain the wondrous world of the Guardians. It was a bit too much to take in so she held up a hand and it prompted the winter spirit to stop.<p>

"Are you telling me you knew Santa Claus, Sandman, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny? And the five of you protect the children and give them joy with their own holidays and whatnot?"

"Yep!"

"_Oho_, and I suppose that you're going to tell me how you did something really bad at Christmas time and had a party with Cupid and Mother Nature?"

Her sarcastic voice irked him so he crossed his arms and scowled, "Okay one; _don't be an idiot_; there's no Cupid or Mother Nature. Two, North aka Santa Claus would have his Yetis tie me in a sack again and throw me to Niagara Falls if I ever try to do anything on Christmas."

He smirked proudly when her face reddened and clenched her fist. Surely no one had called her an idiot before.

She calmly straightened her dress by flattening them and cleared her throat, "And do you expect me to believe everything you say? It's nearly impossible! Santa Claus can't exist!"

"But I exist and so do you!" He argued back

"But he can't be real! It's- it'll be like- like-"

"Magic?" he finished for her. "Of course it's like _magic_ Sunshine! What did you think we had been doing all this time? D'you think we've been bitten by a radioactive spider-"

"What does a spider have anything to do with this?" she asked, now completely confused more than ever.

He opened his mouth before he cupped his chin with his hand and said, "I'll explain that later. Look, we're chosen here by someone okay?"

It caught her full attention. She stood up and the chair fell on the ground as snow and she began to advance towards him,

"You know who did this?!" she cried, icy winds blew in random directions and her eyes turned into a lighter shade of blue.

He was unfazed by this and looked at her as he tucked his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, "The Man in the Moon" he simply said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Elsa felt the world around her spin, for years she had travelled the world waiting for some sort of explanation when Olaf had told her already before. The sole cause of her pain and suffering. The moon.

"Why?" she whispered, "Why does the moon do that?"

She waited for his answer but none came. Instead, he gripped his staff and leaned his head on it and answered, "I dunno. Wasn't sure why he chose me either." He suddenly sprang up, causing her to stumble back but managed to stand firm again as he stood on the snow and pointed his staff right at her,

"Maybe you're the next Guardian!"

"Wait- what?"

"Of course! I mean how else could you remain here as a spirit and have powers like mine? I've got to tell the others-"

"No- _That's not why-_"

"Ohohoho, wait 'til Bunny finds out you have ice powers too" he schemed as he hopped on the ground and collected his staff.

"I'll just swing by North's Workshop and-"

"No, stop!"

Along with her voice, a large gust of wind and a vicious lash of sleet made him turn stop and was pulled back by Elsa grabbing him by the hood. He escaped her grip and held his staff up defensively but lowered it back as soon as he saw her scared expression.

"Don't" she begged, "Please, don't tell them"

His eyebrows knitted closely and he shook his head, "I-I don't understand, why not? It's great being a Guardian. Kids will see you, believe in you, you won't be lonely anymore"

Elsa opened her mouth to say that she wasn't lonely but all she managed to say was,

"Promise me Jack. Please, promise that you won't ever tell anyone about me"

She watched him have an internal conflict; his face was covered with indecisiveness and worry. Finally, he sighed and crossed his arms,

"Okay Sunshine. I promise"

"Good" she nodded and relief washed over her like the cleansing water.

_**-',-**_

At first, they didn't get along, with his wild spirit and immaturity and her stiff and stuck-up attitude, they would have collided. But Jack didn't care, he was having fun. He told 'Sunshine' all about the modern world and the subject about the spider and superheroes. He liked spending time with her but when she brought up the topic about skiing and sledding, he realized about one thing he forgot that really mattered,

_Jamie_.

So one day, he told Sunshine that he was needed somewhere in which she just shrugged and even said, "Finally!" He chuckled and flicked her forehead before he dashed out of the cave with the wind to guide him his way back to his friend.

He didn't look back to see the forlorn light in her eyes as he flew farther and farther away until he was gone.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

At last, he had found it.

He supressed his joy as he held the Pied Piper's pipe in his hands. Such a fragile yet powerful tool, a legend that was now forgotten because the Piper's spirit was too weak and he went out like the dying embers in a fireplace. Pitch glided through the Fairy Tale Museum, it was a small place filled with wax models and cheap knock-offs, it was amazing and hard to believe that something as dangerous as this was placed in a glass box for those fools to gawk at.

And though the fears of children were the primary source of his power, it was the fear of adults that were more potent because of their developed minds. And what could be more frightening for a parent than to lose their child?

Oh the thrill of having those fools run around like ants in the rain was invigorating and it would be a million times sweeter if he could get to Jack Frost and that annoying boy. What was his name? Oh that's right; Jamie. He had special plans for them, to make them pay, suffer for the humiliation they'd forced upon him that they would wished they had let him win the previous battle.

He stopped as he passed by the Snow Queen's section and he exposed his dagger like teeth in a smile, "All in good time my dear, all in good time"

It feels so good to be bad.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

Jack floated into the room as quietly as he could. The only sound was the crackle of the fire as it ate away the logs that was placed in their midst. Sophie was tucked in and Jack could see her dreams about unicorns and eggs. The girl sure liked Bunny though.

He went to Jamie's side and saw that he had covered his whole body under the blanket. Jack uncovered it with his hand and yelped when the figure jumped up and gave him a large lick on the face.

"_Yech!_ Dog drool!" he groaned as he wiped the saliva with the end of the blankets. Felix happily wagged his tail and a pair of footsteps rushed from the hall. Jamie, in his blue pajamas, stood by the door and a large smile threatened to split his face as he spotted his best friend wiping his face with the blanket.

"Jack!"

The Guardian nodded and chuckled when Jamie hugged his midsection and pulled back, "I thought you left me!"

There was a stab of guilt it Jack when he said it. He did leave him but only for a little while. He was so preoccupied with Sunshine and following her around that he forgot that he was supposed to be here for Jamie after all, he was the one who invited him. He sighed and patted his friend's brown hair, "Sorry 'bout that kiddo. Won't happen again."

Jamie bounced into the bed and checked on Sophie who was still sleeping on the top bunk; her dreams were about bunny rabbits now. He sat with his feet crossed under him and began to ask Jack,

"So where did you go?"

He shrugged, "Around"

"Really? What did you do?"

"The usual stuff"

Jamie frowned, his friend was unusual tight-lipped today and then he remembered what was supposedly going on, "Jack, the thing you did on the wall was so cool!"

His mask of indifference broke and he let a grin dominate his face, "Yeah? You saw what I wrote on the wall?"

"Oh it was so awesome! The ice you did was so thick that they got out after a whole day!"

They continued on and on about his ice and to Jack, there was nothing more important than being with Jamie.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

Inside the cave, Elsa hummed as she began to sculpt random shapes in the ice. A five note song bounced along the walls of the cave yet she didn't waver from her activity. The bird flapped its wings and crash landed on the bed. It shook itself up, sending specks of snow dust everywhere before it cheeped like a chick. Elsa glanced at it with the corner of her eye. This bird was peculiar, like the Guardian of Fun but at least it listened to her wishes without sassing back. It was a hectic day to say the least and the thought others being the same as her was nerve wrecking. She could barely stomach Jack's presence let alone four others.

It made her wonder, did Jack ever meet Pitch? Now that she'd thought about it, Pitch did say something about the Guardians. The coincidence was so suspicious that she felt as if she was being set up. But it was impossible, Pitch was anything but careless. He was cunning and if he does things, he does it thoroughly. If he was so keen on getting her to his side, he wouldn't even let her presence be known to them. She would be a liability and therefore useless in his plans.

"This keeps getting more and more difficult" she sighed as she leaned on the wall and forced the sculpture to meld with the ice in the walls. The bird chirped and flew on her hair. Its little feet were sharp she knew it was making a nest with her hair.

With a tired chuckle, she cupped the bird from her head and drew it close to her face, "You are a mischievous little thing aren't you little one? Shall I name you?"

The bird tilted its head and chirped which Elsa took a sign as a 'Yes'. So she spent the whole evening thinking of the possible names to call it. For the first time, she felt happy. There were neither worries nor care about anyone or anything. Just her, the bird and the list of names she could impart upon it.

Little did she know that Pitch had already started his plans and she has a part in it if not, even more so than the Guardians.

**_-',-_**

**_End of Chapter Six_**

* * *

><p>I updated earlier than usual because I'm not sure if I'm gonna go on hiatus or not since a lot of things are happening in my end. But you could still leave your thoughts and comments through reviews of course and PMs.<p>

Now, imagine you're Elsa with the cute and clumsy birdie. What would you name it because all I got was either 'Fluff' or 'Weiss'

Now, time to acknowledge the best kind of people in the world: the Reviewers. Thank them because without them, I would have never continued this without their support and insights. Oh and if you're going to review, please add some substantial content not just 'Update this' Because with a large amount of review, I definitely will. So, if you're gonna review, I dunno, just put in your thoughts, opinions expressions, whatever. Even if it's the characterization, the flow of the story, heck you can even critique my writing. Just no flames please.

I only wrote this because a reader who shall remained anonymous had asked me why I only thanked the reviewers and not the ones who favorite and followed this story. As I said before; it was easy to click a button and follow a story but to share your thoughts to another was valuable reward for writers everywhere so, this is my response.

Okay, for the reviewers of the last chapter:

DeniseAgron: Oh thank goodness you did! I felt it was kind of rushed. And I'm not also a fan of love at first sight nonsense. I mean, who does that? I incorporated your suggestion as well :) Hope to hear from you soon my dear reader!

StarMaster7: Hahaha I thought they were going to stone me to death! Yeah it was like a filler but it captured moments like how they met and Jack somehow forced her to have fun. Your idea intrigued me and I will try and see if I can squeeze it into my original plot but no promises though! Hope to hear from you dear and thanks :)

FanGirlAllTheWay: Thank you for that! I thought I made Jack a bit too immature but then again… he is so. Yeah. (Awkward silence) But hey you liked it and that's what's important!

Guest (Anonoymous): Ooh they will, they will. And please stay with me til the end okay?

maggi le fay: Incluí el final, pero no sé si puedo escribir su bola de nieve lucha palabra por palabra. Va a ser agotador xD

So, thanks for everything guys. Both reviewers and non-reviewers and see you in the next chapter. And for heaven's sake, no questions like 'Where's Olaf' or 'What will happen next?' or 'Will Elsa do this or Jack do that?' because it will all be answered in the subsequent chapters so please bear with the chapters kay? I'm using my happy, bubbly voice, not the angry voice :D Maybe my hot blooded-ness came from watching the marathon of Boondock Saints 1 and 2 before typing this hahaha.

Thoughts?

Comments?

Suggestions?

Constructive Criticisms?

Then Review or PM me okay?

No Flames though


	7. Back to Reality

**_Finne Min Senter_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter Seven<em>**

**_Back to Reality_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

There was an eerie silence in the air in the suburbs in West Virginia. Little Nicky Andrews was peacefully sleeping in his bed when he heard a soft music play. It was strange, he was inside his dream but he could see himself and hear everything around him. For the child, it was merely a dream and nothing more. He had dreamt of flying before so what's so bad with walking in his dream?

The music was sweet and pleasing to the ears. Like a room full of flutes were being played in a beautiful symphony. Funny he never liked music but this one was so pretty that he couldn't help but follow the sound.

In his ducky pajamas and stepped out of his bedroom barefooted, he walked quietly past his parents' bedroom then climbed down the stairs. His mind's eyes guided him to the door and it opened for him. He didn't want to go. Mom and Dad always told him to never ever go out of the house at night time. But the sound of the pipe blocked his senses and he took the first step out of the threshold. The moon was covered with thick black clouds and as he looked around, there was no one.

The shadows began to creep around him. Scary figures emerged with their mouth open like a silent scream and their hands were long and spidery. He stood there, frozen with fear as they came closer, and closer. Their hands were opening and closing as if they longed to clutch to hold on to something and they were all coming right at him.

He cowered behind his eyelids but his feet stayed rooted to the ground. Cold evening air chilled him to the bone and his ash brown hair whipped around with the moist breeze. Then, he appeared. He was a tall and intimidating man with slicked back hair and broad shoulders. His yellowish eyes glowed like a Jack O' Lantern's on Halloween, and he rose from the shadows with the ribbons of smoke dancing around him.

The stranger lifted the pipe to his mouth and blew on the mouthpiece. The music was much louder now and the sweetness of the melody made him forget his fear. In a complete trance, he followed the stranger and entered the shadows. With the first foot into the dark realm, the front door of the Andrews residence quietly closed. In the master bedroom, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews slept peacefully through the night, unaware that their son had vanished into the realm of darkness.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

He was on the prowl; his target was moving fast and dodged his traps. He pressed himself against the tree and took aim. His target had his guard down and it was the perfect opportunity to-

"Eat snowballs!" Jamie cried as he threw his stash of snowballs at Jack.

"Not hungry sorry!" Jack playfully bantered as he easily caught the flying spheres and changed their direction back to Jamie.

Jamie hollered and ran as the snowballs chased him around the park. It was a fine day and it was great a good thing that they were the only ones present or else Jamie would have to explain why it was snowing heavily on the park while the rest of the city was clear from any winter activities. The trees were frosted and the benches were laced with icicles that twinkled with the sunlight.

At last, Jamie sat on the clump of snow and branches. He was exhausted but happy. Jack was energetic as always but he kept sending glances on that one route like he was expecting something to pop out. His usual attentiveness when Jamie told him stories and dreams was not as full as it was. Jack was distracted and it made Jamie curious.

"Jack?"

No response

He still kept his eyes beyond the wall of the park, through the outlines of the ice capped mountains miles away.

"Jack, hey!"

He tugged on Jack's hoodie and watched the stay frost dust over his gloves. Jack was shook out of his thoughts and an automatic grin glued itself on his face, "Sorry kid, what was that?"

There was something about the absence of Jack that worried the eleven year old. Questions plagued his mind even though his best friend was on his side again. It wasn't just 'nothing' it was definitely something and that something was something big because otherwise, Jack wouldn't have that 'lost in the clouds' look which he had right.

He waved a hand on his face and Jack just scrunched into a fake annoyed face and flicked on Jamie's forehead. The boy frowned and rubbed the area,

"What was that for?" he demanded.

But it was a bittersweet gesture. His dad used to do that after they played baseball and he would pout since he always missed the ball. Sophie was just a baby and his dad was a businessman who worked in the office from nine to five. He used to grin and say _'It's alright to miss Jamie; all that matters is that you keep trying. It's okay to fail but never give up and keep believing!'  
><em>  
>He took it the hardest when his dad died five years ago. He got caught up in a traffic jam and a six wheeler truck plowed through the cars when its brakes stopped working. His dad was one of the casualties.<p>

Maybe he turned to the stories because they provided comfort in the loss of his father. No he's not crying for any attention. He's a happy and healthy kid who just happens to see beings who belonged in holiday cards and folklores. And with Jack, he felt like he had both his dad back and a big brother that likes games and pranks. He'd look up to him for advice, ideas and even encouragement so he can be a great brother for Sophie. Jack has a certain fondness for his little sister and he remembered that Jack had a sister as well but he never mentioned a name.

And seeing Jack so distracted about something and not telling him what's in his mind made him a bit uncomfortable. He tells Jack absolutely everything and Jack usually does the same but since his week-long trip, he changed somehow.

"Because you're breaking me from my concentration kid" he answered and sat in and Indian-style in thin air.

Jamie took off his gloves to flex his numb fingers and fixed his bonnet, "You and the word 'concentrate' don't really match" he said. Jack stuck out his tongue playfully but shifted his sights towards the mountains again.

It felt wrong, like he was leading a double life but he had to keep his promise to Sunshine. His mind begun to wander to her well-being; what was doing this very moment? Was reading a book about history or the story book again now that he wasn't there? Is she going to Stockholm again or just walk by the forest near her mountain?

The realization hit him like one of Bunny's explosive eggs on his face; _he missed her_. It was weird to miss somebody you don't even know. But, they're friends now right? He told her about the Guardians and had fun in their snow while most were too busy to keep warm than to have a great time.

Of course, that didn't mean that they were immune to each other's powers. Sunshine did say that she definitely felt the cold when his snowball hit her on the shoulder and he occasionally felt the pinprick of frostbite on his feet if he stood on her self-made floor for too long. Their powers were the same yet so different at the same time.

Again, Jamie waved his hand on his face and this time, Jack sent the smallest of icy bolts to Jamie's with his staff and grinned at the heap of snowball that filled the boy's mouth.

It was just past noon, if he was to leave right now, he could get back at least eight or nine and Jamie would still be up by then, his body clock didn't synchronize with the time difference anyway. So with that, he jumped high and announced,

"I'm gonna take care of something first. Stay out of trouble!"

Jamie coughed out the snow and wiped his mouth with a frown, "That's what I should say to you! But where are you really-"

He should have known something was keeping Jack away from him. The moment he turned his back and flew off across the wall, to the mountains where he must have been last week. He felt terrible, he's not Jack's keeper therefore, and he had no hold over him. But he can't help but feel abandoned. With a defiant face, he smushed his cheeks with his hands and shook his head. He won't have a tantrum just because Jack was doing something maybe with the Guardians... Yeah!

It must be a super-secret mission and he's not supposed to say anything! With the reassuring thought in his mind, he happily walked home with a grin and a plan to help his friend as best as he could.

* * *

><p>North bit off the portion of a fruitcake and studied the globe. The lights were as strong as ever and even multiplied ever since last year's run-in with Pitch Black. But there was an unsettling feeling in his belly that won't go away so every day, he would study the globe and wait for Manny to say something about it. But the Man in the Moon stayed silent and the lights were still there.<p>

It was unsettling to say the least before he found out that Jack hadn't visited the Workshop for a week now. Well maybe the boy found something to entertain himself. After all it was nice to have a perfectly scheduled day without being ruined because the Guardian of Fun decided to trick the Yetis to colour all the trains yellow or freeze an army of elves and hang them on the Christmas tree like ornaments... again.

The hulking man crossed his arms; his right arm with the Naughty tattoo flexed his muscles and then rubbed his beard with the other. Everything was in place; Bunny was taking a break and lay low in his Warren, Tooth who was ever busy was flying down to Asia where an explosion of cavity-filled teeth demanded her attention and Sandman was on the other side of the world, spreading sweet dreams and wonderful nights.

Yes, maybe Pitch Black was now really gone and won't be coming back. His eyes scanned the toys that were placed in front of him to inspect. The classic teddy bears and toy trains were always a favourite but he can't help but feel a bit in conflict with the modern world. In the olden days, a child would have given anything just to have a toy boat that floats or a doll for a little girl to play with. But now, he had to compete with gadgets and electronic thingamajigs because the children now lived in a technology-ruled world.

He can't really blame them though, with all things shiny and high-tech, who would even need old Santa Claus?

His sudden bout of depression stopped abruptly when he heard something ring into his ears. It was the Man in the Moon. And if Manny told him to call everyone, it's an emergency.

* * *

><p>Elsa couldn't hide the small smile on her face when she saw a bright light that reflect the diamond dust and the frost that followed behind it. He was coming, and she knew. It would be useless to try and convince herself that it wasn't a big deal but it certainly was. Apart from Fluff, the name she gave to the bird and decided that it might have been a male, she spent four days in solitude like she had always before everything with Jack happened. At first it was what she wished for; the silence and the safety of being alone without anyone to control her every move. It was liberating.<p>

It was just.

It was safe.

... It was lonely...

_No!  
><em>  
>She quickly erased the grin on her face and plastered her mask of indifference as Jack glided to her cave with familiarity and ease. Fluff quickly from his perch to welcome Jack with a tug on his bangs. Jack shooed the bird away and smirked at her,<p>

"Nice to see you're doing well huh Sunshine? You could use a bit more practice with your smile though" he teased.

If steam were to come out of her ears, she wouldn't be surprised. He was here not a minute long and he still managed to irk her in record time. It must be a talent of his; to anger someone so quickly before they could exchange pleasantries. She wondered how Anna could have handled this situation but banished the thought; Anna's existence should be kept secret as her existence was to everyone else.

With a huff, she returned to her previous activity and did what she did best, ignore him. She watched him through the reflection of her mirror and let a smirk cover her lips when she saw him pout like a child and sat on her bed. She gazed upon the bunch of snow and began to freeze it into a block of ice. She had seen Kristoff chip the ice with his ice pick but it was still imperfect. With a careful eye, she molded the ice like it was made of soft clay and created a figurine of an angel. Its surface gleamed and a myriad of colours bloomed around it when the light hits.

"Impressive" he commented.

"Thank you" she replied, "It took years for me to perfect it with this size. The larger ones were always easier"

He stood from the bed and placed both hands on the wall of her cave.

She quirked a brow and opened her mouth to ask what he was plotting but he just shushed her and let his frost cover the wall. With his fingertips, he drew an outline of a butterfly and with his two forefingers, he slowly detached his hands from the wall, the butterfly peeled off with it and he let it go.

Before Elsa could see what he just did, the butterfly flapped around the cave and landed on the table, its wings slowly flapped like the real thing.

"How did you do that?" she asked with bewilderment.

"Trade secret" he answered with a wink. "I don't know why you're gasping like that when you made that real bird" he pointed out. Elsa held out a hand to Fluff who flew to her and landed on her wrist.

"I can make living creatures but only if I can monitor their conditions. The longer they were away from me, the less effective my magic is, take Fluff for instance-"

Jack snickered, "You named it '_Fluff_'?"

She placed her hands on her hips, which made Fluff fly away, and gave an affronted expression to him, "Yes I did. Is something wrong with that name?"

"No nothing. Should have called it 'Cottonball' or 'Snowflake' though, much more scary than Fluff" he continued to tease while the bird sang out like it was laughing with him.

"I've heard worse names" she sniffed.

"So," he started, "What's the plan for today?"

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Y'know, your 'To Do List'. An uptight person like you always has one" he said and studied the small end table that leaned against the wall.

The migraine was coming forth again, and there was bit of anger mixed with embarrassment because she does have a list of daily activities she'd stuck with. But that's what kept her comfortable. She was always an organized person despite everything else and needed things to be in her total disposal. She had no time nor desires to be spontaneous, that was Anna's forte.

Jack stood up from the table and placed his staff on his shoulder, "How about we drop by in Stockholm and maybe eat some cinnamon rolls. Jamie said the ones in Östersund were sweeter-"

His words earned him a bewildered look from his companion. He already knew the question she was about to ask anyway so he nodded, "Yeah we can eat things. If not, North would have been so mad about not getting to eat the cookies the kids leave for him"

"Did you find that out all by yourself?" she found herself asking him questions like eating, means of transportation and everything about the human world with much unintentional gusto. Jack was more than happy to share the story in full detail in which North practically forced him to take a bite out of his fruitcake and how he sampled every type of food in all the countries he visited.

He got up and stretched, "You know Sunshine, instead of talking about it, how 'bout we just do it?"

Elsa glanced at her discarded snow pile that was next to be sculpted and turned to Jack who was itching to fly out and eat.

_'It won't be so bad'_ she reasoned with herself, _'I just want to see if what he said was true'_

And before she knew it, they were flying in top speed towards Stockholm with him riding the wind and her, cloaked in a cloud of flurry.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

To see her smile for the first time was a memory he most likely would never forget. They stood in an empty sweets shop, the first store she was dying to try and a large child-like smile emerged from her usually dour face had left him gobsmacked. She sighed longingly at the chocolate fountain where thick volumes of fudge dribbled from the tubes and pieces of round pastries and fruit were decorated around it lavishly.

"What I wouldn't give to have a chocolate strawberry right now" she sighed; unaware that he was within the hearing range.

"Then take one" he suggested, not missing the alarmed expression that was sent to him.

"But that will be stealing! It would also hurt their sales considering I took what they could have sold" she argued.

With a groan and an exasperated sigh, Jack swiped several pieces of red peppermints from a tray near the counter and levitated a couple of feet from the ground, "And how will they know you took it? Do they measure that fountain and notice that someone dipped in it when they're not looking?"

She opened her mouth to retort but none came. Jack knew he won the argument and popped a peppermint in his mouth. They escaped the shop by an open window and found themselves standing on the same street where they first saw each other. Jack would have scoffed at the cliché of the scene. Back to where it all began huh?

Sunshine dabbed the smidge of chocolate that refuse to budge from the side of her lips. Without thinking, he lifted his hand to wipe it off for her. But as soon as his fingers graze her flesh, he was thrown to the wall of the building from the opposite street.

People gasped and tried to find the source of the cold blast of snow. The back of his head throbbed and he could actually see stars behind his eyelids when he peeled himself from the wall.

He felt a heavy weight on his chest and his temper kicked in, "_What was that for?!"_

She didn't seem to regret it one bit and it fed his anger, he was patient and friendly to her but all she showed was resentment and hostility. There was something in her eyes that he couldn't place and her words were as biting as the chill of his ice,

_"Don't touch me!"_

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

"Don't touch me!"

_'Or I might hurt you without meaning to'_ she added in her mind. This words... she had said them before, a long time ago, back to a time that she was feared. By her own parents. A cold feeling that was so different from the ice and snow that she used grew steadily from her chest to the tip of her toes.

"Sunshine?"

She didn't want to look at him, didn't want to see the same face of disturbance and apprehension that mirrored her parents'. She didn't want to be hated, didn't want to be feared as the monster that she really was. Hans was right, all of them were right.

She was a monster.

A monster that will hurt everyone and everything in her path. And monsters were all destined to be vanquished. It was a wrong decision; she shouldn't have left her sanctuary. She shouldn't have indulged him in the first place. As much as she denied it, she was getting attached to him and the mere thought of hurting him was unbearable. Because she thought of him as a friend.

A real friend after so many years of isolation, of indifference and she just had to pick him out of everything else. She should have taken Pitch's offer if this was going to be the results of her vulnerability and ignorance! With the _Mann i Mørket_, she would still have some level of control over all things especially over her feelings, there was already a grudging respect and a dose of distrust between them that she would never grow close to him as she was to Jack.

Everything around her seemed to shrink and the migraine came back with a vengeance. There was a loud ringing in her ears and she knew what she was experiencing; panic. Tiny sounds of ice covering the ground reached her ears and she looked down and horror enveloped her entire body. Thick bluish-black ice sprawled from her feet to the road, unnoticeable but it steadily grew in a rapid pace and if she didn't do anything, it would freeze the entire block.

Like the night in Arendelle.

In the midst of her fear and internal conflict, she could hear someone shouting straight at her. She stared at the direction where it came from and for a second, her vision was hazy. As if someone had placed a thick fog in front of her eyes and a shadow with fuzzy outlines was all she could see before he was right in front of her.

Jack Frost

He was shaking her by the shoulders and his lips were moving but no sound came. Why was that? Oh, right, she blocked him out. There was a lot to explain but right now, she just needed to get back home. But where was home?

She thought about her cave and her ice burst from the air and wrapped around her while the snow and wind moved her from the city to the mountains that were hundreds of miles away. Away from people, away from him most of all.

Don't follow me.

Please.

I don't want to hurt you.

Don't make me hurt you!

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

"Sunshine!" Jack called out and kicked his feet from the ice that wasted away as she travelled further away. He ran to the end of the street and with one leap, he flew after her as fast as he could with the help of the wind. The air was thin and the chill pinched his exposed skin like thousands of needles pierced into him simultaneously. Then, a burst of colours in the sky erupted. Ribbons of light spread on the heavens and Jack stopped his chase with furrowed eyebrows. Something was wrong. North was calling everyone to his Workshop and it meant only one thing.

The children were in danger once again.

He was torn between chasing after Sunshine and going to the Workshop but his role as a Guardian won and he headed straight to the lights without a second thought.

The trip to the North Pole was a nostalgic thing and to see them all again was great, though he wished it was under a different circumstance. The Yetis let him in at once, which was a first, and the elves jumped out of his way as he zoomed to the globe and saw everyone was already there.

The atmosphere was grim and no one was smiling. Bunny and North were quarrelling about something while Tooth was in a somber mood like the time her fairies were taken from her. Sandy was the only who greeted him with a happy face above his head. North grunted at what Bunny said and he spotted Jack. "Now we're all here" he started, "We have huge problem" the seriousness of his tone was off-putting and his eyes were grave. Even Bunny didn't threaten him with his stunt last Easter and just crossed his arms and looked at the globe with narrow eyes.

"What's going on?" Jack asked. Tooth rubbed her forearms and turned to North who nodded in response;

"Not just problem, it is _catastrophe_. Every country, every continent; children are being taken"

He felt as if he was being hit something hard and time has stopped. He didn't realize that he yelled _'What?!'_ and blew an icy wind around them. North stood his ground and slammed a fist on the table. Jack immediately recovered his senses and took a deep breath. Bunny was frowning while Tooth and Sandy hovered over him with worried faces. He didn't want to be coddled; he wanted to know what was happening. This was really not his best day at all.

**_-',-_**

**_End of Chapter Seven_**

* * *

><p>Hey guys. <em>Disregard that 'Hiatus warning'<em> for the moment since I decided it would be mean of me to leave you all hanging. In the subject of the chapter title, it's already hinted that the happy light hearted chapters were done, finished, ended, _finito_ and we're back to the dark theme of the story. So thanks for the great reviews, man you guys made me update fast! So I know what it will always mean from now on: More reviews, faster updates eh? Hahaha don't worry I gotcha!

Now, here's to these fantastic people who've made this chapter possible:

HuaiYin: Ahaha, one of my favourite readers strikes again! Don't worry dear; I won't stop until my precious baby's finished. I really love your insights: It will be a real downer if all was gloom and doom so I needed to make some happy moments here and there. Oh, and I love some caramel dipped cookies with lotsa pistachio nuts ;)

rokusan23: I was actually pondering whether or not to write a small filler about that. Hahaha imagine, Jamie lecturing Jack about the difference between radioactive and genetically-altered and Jack will be like 'Whaaaat?' And I was going to make Sophie (Censored) when she (Censored) with Elsa. hahahaha thanks for reviewing and don't worry I duly noted all your suggestions :) Hope you liked this chapter!

maggi le fay: Puede parecer así, pero la lucha siempre sucede alrededor de amigos. Y he establecido la relación entre Jack y Jamie más de una hermandad de amigos sólo regualr. Esperemos que no se romperá si por casualidad sabe dónde Jack realmente iba aunque hahaha! Mantenga la calma y esperamos oír de usted!

StarMaster7: Thank goodness you liked the idea. I've read William Joyce's novels and I've noticed he included several of the storybook characters like Katherine who was the embodiment of Mother Goose. And since I focused this more on the film than in the book, I replaced Katherine's characterization with Jamie so he's now 'The Storyteller'. I'll take note of your idea since your opinions are highly valued. I enjoyed reading your reviews and I hope that you approved this chapter!

Guest (Anon): Well Fluff is kinda like Fluffy without the letter Y so… hahaha

miharu. yumi: I guess it's safe to say that you haven't read my notes in the earlier chapters haha. I always stressed that there will be no romantic link between Elsa and Pitch. The only link I would give them was a mutual respect out of the other's abilities but thank you for sharing your thoughts anyway. To know that you've likened my writing style to that of a book's was really a genuine honor that one can receive especially on an amateur writer like me.

electricangel12: I had thought of that but it would be rather confusing to type in their names and the readers will get confused as well xD And I would have acted on what Barbossa did to Captain Jack Sparrow and his monkey, Jack but thank you for the suggestion.

Dramachick4thewin: Oooh, you were too close to my real plot but it was alright hahaha. I tried it but it didn't really stuck with me so I'll try to make it up to you with a good chapter. Hope to hear from you soon!

Guest (Anonymous): Oh my, I totally love you! You really caught the subtle Pewdiepie reference here hahaha! But to know that you liked this by simply reading the first sentence… ah, I'm really floored right now! And to have someone say I have a talent in writing… It just made my whole day! Please stay with this story to the end and I promise you, you will not regret this!

There you have it. So, questions, thought and comments are always welcomed here. Just no harrowing flames please because the words of other people really tear me down easily when it comes to my writing so please… be nice to me okay?

Read and Review!


	8. Mirror

**_Finne Min Senter  
><em>**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter Eight<br>Mirror  
>-',-<em>**

Everyone was silent, and all were trapped into their own thoughts as they watched the images being projected by Manny. Outlines of small children hovered above them and they all filed into a line and went into a portal. Time and time again, North demanded to know the culprit but the Man in the Moon was silent which was odd given the situation. Jack, who was still skeptical with the moon spirit, suspected it was their old nemesis; Pitch Black. Of course the others had also voiced their opinions in the matter but they concluded that although Pitch was cunning and vile, he won't gain anything from kidnapping children. He feeds on fears, not human flesh.

There were a lot of blanks that needed to be filled out and so far, they came out empty. North pulled out a large parchment and pointed them out as the names of the children who went missing and their location.

"See here" he said, "Every country, a child's been taken. No mere coincidence"

Bunny leaned to the list and shook his head, "But what does it mean exactly? That the kidnapper wasn't random? We need to know what's going on mate, we need a plan."

Sandy rubbed his chin with a thoughtful face before an exclamation point flashed above his head. He grabbed North by the shirt and Bunnymund by the paw and led them to the globe. Images played with his sand in a rapid pace before North held up his hands, "Slow down Sandy! What do you have in mind?"

Sandy patiently conjured the pictures of the four of them with others that circled around the globe. Jack was the first to catch on Sandman's suggestion and nodded, "Yeah! Spread out!"

"Spread out?" Bunnymund echoed, "Like what, a scouting group?"

"Exactly!" Jack confirmed, "Look, the kidnapper can't be at two places at once and every night, a kid disappears in one country. If we each cover a parts of the continent that hasn't been targeted yet, we can trap the guy and take him down."

North pondered over Jack's plan and agreed to his offer, "It sound like good plan"

"But I have to collect teeth!" Tooth protested, "I can't stop giving presents and get their teeth just so I can patrol the cities!"

"Then send some of your fairies to cover the towns and cities while the others collect the teeth with you" Jack compromised, he worked well under pressure and he was considerably level-headed in contrast to his impulsive attitude.

Bunny played with his boomerangs and scoffed at his comrade (since he outwardly refused to acknowledge Jack as a friend), "Never thought I'd see the day that you would really use your frozen brain."

"So we all come to agreement?" North quickly cut in before Jack could make a snarky comment. Sandy nodded and so did Tooth but with a hint of reluctance. It was understandable with her hesitation though, if she missed a single tooth, she had a clear cut chance of a child who will stop believing in her. And it was an experience she wasn't keen to have again.

Bunny grunted but didn't have any further complaints and side comments before North sighed and looked at the globe with eyes that was always filled with wonder was now filled with reservation and wariness.

"We have to protect them" he softly said, "We shall do everything we can to keep them safe and in the light. _Eto tsel' nashego sushchestvovaniya_."

He turned to them, fire in his eyes and determination glowed in his whole being, "Now, we must make routes! I take the Russian area and whole Asia. Bunny, you take Australia-"

"Naturally"

"And check Pacific Isles just in case"

Bunnymund grumbled for a moment before he waved it off and said, "Whatever you say mate"

"Tooth, you're in charge of Europe and Africa. Jack, you-"

Jack held his hand up accompanied with a sheepish expression on his face, "Can I take Europe instead?" They all stared at him and wait for an explanation to follow. He rubbed the back of his neck and answered, "You see, _Jamie's_ in Sweden and well- y'know"

"Are you really asking us to try and find a middle ground while you're off tramping around with the kid like nothing's happening?" Bunnymund seethed, his eyes focused solely on the Guardian of Fun.

Jack bristled under his glare, he understood the urgency of the situation and the time for requests like this was borderline selfish but stood his ground, "Hey I didn't plan for this to happen. Sorry I missed a memo a week earlier that a psycho was planning to kidnap kids and decided to take Jamie and his family to Sweden. Maybe I should have called him first and asked to reschedule!"

"Don't try and be smart with me, _Figjam_."

"Talk the talk if you can walk the walk, rat face!"

In a flash, two explosive eggs were thrown at him and Jack jumped out of the way and sent an icy surge right at Bunny when the smoke from the eggs had cleared off. He hit the mark when Bunny growled in a feral fashion and his side was decorated with ice. Bunnymund had his boomerangs out and more than ready to use them and so were Jack and his staff. But their battle had never reached its conclusion as two Yetis took both their arms and held them on their backs.

Bunnymund was cursing up a storm while Jack tried to kick his way out of the furry behemoth's iron grip. They were then placed face to face, still restrained by the Yetis. Tooth and Sandy stood by the sidelines with worried faces. The natural pacifists had no idea on how to get them in a same room without blowing the other's fuse.

They gave each other the most venomous glare they could muster and before they could speak or do anything else, North grabbed them by the hair (and by the ears for Bunny) and knocked their foreheads together with a rewarding _'Clok!_'

Both Tooth and Sandy winced upon contact and she flew over to the dizzy Guardians with a strict shadow over her usually lenient features, "Guys, this is not the time to fight over petty things," she chastised, "For once, can you not fight and think of the children? We have to save them from this creature and return them to their families."

North placed his fists to his hips and leered down at his two, now limp, companions. To see them so riled up was understandable especially in Jack's case. He became so attached to the Bennett that it seemed like he depend his whole existence on the boy. Which will be a tremendous problem.

He gestured the Yetis to relinquished their hold over the two and turned to Jack, "Have a walk with me."

_'Great, another words of wisdom from Ol' Saint Nick'_ Jack grumbled in his thoughts but nonetheless shadowed the large man's steps into his office.

"Don't poke it! It bloody hurts like a rattlesnake bite!" he heard Bunnymund's muffled yell as North closed the door. Routinely, he offered some fruitcake to which Jack politely declined. No one said anything, only the soft tinkling of a music box and the whirring of a toy airplane filled the room.

Sure enough, North looked at him squarely in the eyes and said, "Jack, you can't depend on Jamie forever."

Shock coloured his features and his mouth slackened at North's words. " What d'you mean by that?"

"Sorry, wrong words" he apologized and moved to his cabinet and held his Russian doll with careful hands, "What I mean was, you shouldn't rely solely on Jamie's belief in you."

Rage bubbled in Jack's chest, the word 'insidious' came to mind, it was one of the words he learned when he peeked into one of Sunshine's books. "So you think I stay close to Jamie because I'm a _parasite_?! That I feed off him? Thanks for the high regards" he bellowed and slammed his staff down, frosts covered the floor and walls and the wind was harsh but North was undeterred.

He placed the doll back to his cabinet and put his hands on his back, "It's not what I mean Jack. You're too close to Jamie. It's alright to be friendly and understandable why you're drawn to him but you should have time away from each other."

"But Jamie might think I left him!"

"Jamie is _human_ and has to live in society with other living humans, not with spirits. He won't get new friends or even start family if you isolate him from everything else. Even if you didn't intend for that, he's too dependent in your presence as well."

'How would you know that?' was what he wanted to say but he smacked himself in his thoughts. North knows everything about every child because if he didn't, he would have been putting names of kids blindly in his sacred list.

With fatherly concern, he placed a reassuring hand in Jack's hoodie and placed a hand on his heart, "You love Jamie like brother so you do what is best for him. Don't abandon him in his time of need and give him space to grow."

Epiphany was the last thing Jack expected to have on the day, and what North had said about Jamie, it was a bombshell. It pained him to accept the fact that North's words rang true. But to wrench away from Jamie and Sophie won't be a small feat, especially not when they're in a foreign country where they didn't know anybody and no one to talk to. It'll be easier to do it back home where he had friends even before he met Jack.

So with a heavy heart, he nodded and stared at the ground, memorizing the curves and scratched on the wooden boards.

"And Jack"

"Hmm?" he hummed without looking up.

"We need to watch for any clues that culprit have left behind. Makes easier us for us to know who it is" North sighed and gazed out of the window of his office, "If this keeps going, I fear no children is safe. Even if we're here."

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

_'Woooooooo!'_

The sound of the wind resounding around the whole mountains was akin to a tortured soul moaning in agony and its search for relief. Bone-chilling and frightening, a perfect cover to keep any sane person from coming to the mountain.

It was the only sound that was present in Elsa's cave as she lay on her bed; curled to her side and pushed her face further in to the pillow that was made by the softest pile of snow. Had it been hours? Or had it been a day after she had lost control of her emotions? The entrance had stood as the evidence of her emotional abandonment that was fueled by her panic outburst; stalagmites that were hacked from their base now lay on the floor, ice shards that poked from the walls was like someone had embedded into them and the entire mountain was covered by blizzards and hail.

A warning to keep unwanted company away and by unwanted company, she meant everyone. No one, especially Pitch and Jack Frost, was allowed to step a toe in her territory. She didn't have the strength to keep them away and her temper was running into a fever of paranoiac and fear. But she had to keep fear at bay, if she let it run rampant, Pitch may take it as an invitation.

She opened an eye and surveyed her dwelling with a lazy sweep. It landed on her mirror and Jack's butterfly was still around, sitting on the rim of the mirror like a real butterfly would sit on a flower. Elsa had contemplated whether to squish the butterfly or let it be; but she never made the decision.

Leisurely, she stood up from her bed and walked to the mirror. Her hand lifted up to the butterfly, not really knowing what to do with it before she brought her hand down to her side. Would Jack Frost know if she had destroyed it? What will he say if he finds out?

The thought of hurting another had sickened her. Except for self-defence, she avoided any type of conflict and ran. She was always good at that; fleeing, escaping. It was cowardly of her but sometimes self-preservation will be the last choice and for her, it was the only reasonable option in every encounter.

Warily, she studied her palms and wondered where that bluish-black ice came from. Most of her ice was ranged from transparent to purple but never in such a dark shade. It must be a reaction to her sudden outburst and it was dangerous. She had seen Jack's face contort with slight pain when his exposed skin contacted with the ice itself. She wanted to know what it was; here she thought she knew all about her powers because it was hers, she owned it, she used it. But now, the tables must have been turned throughout the years. Her powers now controlled her.

She didn't know what to do with her existence. Eternity was empty because she didn't know her purpose and her frozen heart was filled with bitterness and anger that she had forgotten who she truly was.

She was once Queen Elsa of Arendelle, the older sister of Princess Anna. Now, she was nothing but the shell of her former self as a wandering spirit who took up the identity of the Snow Queen.

Fear, anger, hesitation, loneliness, hate, regret; those emotions had continued to grow within her as she molded into the Snow Queen but deep inside, the real Elsa still existed. The queen who learned to let it all go, to be free. And she wanted that again. She yearned for the fearless life and to step into the new world where she didn't have to think about accidentally hurting someone, where she won't be feared and be called a monster.

A drop of fear was still there though. How she wished she could erase all the bad memories that brewed inside her, _'Baby steps'_ she told herself. She wanted to be brave, she wanted to have what Jack has; his ability run wherever he wants to without a care, of whether he left a mark or not, he had somewhere he can go back to, he has friends.

Her indifference and need for isolation blinded her from what she truly needed the most; a friend. And she had unconsciously accepted him as one even when she tried so desperately to cut him off. They had the same skill but they couldn't be more different. His sunny nature against her somber personality. His candidness and need to have some fun was harshly contrasted her desolation and strict discipline. She hadn't had any fun for centuries.

"I want to try" she said to herself on the mirror. "I want to be free. I can't love but I can still care" she convinced herself. First thing's first. She pressed her palms against the surface of the mirror and let her negative emotions flow out to the tips of her fingers. Then, it came out like black veins; each thin line sprawled into the mirror and it absorbed the dark icicles into its form.

_Let it go_

She chanted in her mind. It was such an empowering phrase that she wanted to live by. Her chest felt lighter than before she felt as if her head was clearer. She can do it; she can live as Elsa again.

_'Not for long'_ a voice in her mind taunted. Elsa opened her eyes in surprise and for a second, she thought she saw someone unrecognizable looking back at her. The same face and hair but the eyes belonged to two very different people.

One was filled with uncertainty and the other was cold and calculating. When she blinked, it was gone. The whole cave was brighter, less spine-chilling and more... inviting. But the mirror's edges began to sharpen and the crystal transparency had turned into charcoal black. The queen stepped away from the mirror and with a flick of her hand, a thick curtain of frost and snowflakes covered the mirror and now that it was out of her mind, she looked out of the see-through wall and breathed in deeply like she was taking her first breath.

But Elsa felt guilt creep in her; it had been there ever since she came back to the cave. He had every right to be angry and he may not even want to talk to her anymore.

It shamed her; the way she acted and how she treated him was a disgusting attitude that was unheard of for a lady, and a queen at that. Elsa wanted to find him and apologize but how? For all she knew, he could have returned to where he came from, wherever that was.

With a tentative step, she walked out of her section; each ice formation she broke repaired itself as she passed by. But she had to control her emotions first; another stunt like that, she may not be able to stop it.

So she concentrated on her hands and closed her eyes. _Just like what Papa said, conceal, don't feel._ Extremely thin white gloves covered her hands and extended under her sleeves. It won't stop her from using her powers but it will give her the sense of restraint, a limit, a hold over herself.

She finally let go of her isolation tendency but she can't let go of all her emotions just yet.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

_Where to go.  
><em>  
>The thought swam in his head as he sat on the tree branch. He wanted to go to Jamie and catch up but at the same time, he wanted to know what happened with Sunshine. True, he was pissed when she threw him on the wall but sympathy and overwhelming concern took over when he saw her look at her ice with fear and the face of shame when he shook her out of her funk.<p>

Doesn't she have full control over her power?

He saw her do amazing things with her ice and the very idea of her not knowing how to control it was unheard of. Her pale complexion and fearful eyes when she got the glimpse of the dark ice, it was like it was the first time she had ever saw it.

There was a growing need in him to protect her. To shield her from harm's way. He saw her as a little kid who was vulnerable to everything dangerous that came from the outside word but when he saw that smile in the candy store, he wanted to protect that smile at all costs. And it was weird. To gravitate in Jamie was one thing but now, he had a fixation towards Sunshine and unlike the kid, she was definitely _not _a child.

But now, what will he do? He had looked into Essex, Denmark, Munich and Budapest to check the houses of the missing kids but he found nothing. Whoever it was, he had done a clean job.

He should be out there, patrolling every city, town and village but he found himself sitting on a tree outside the borders of Östersund and thoughts ran into his head more than ever.

He hopped from the branch and glided through the forest. He recognized this part; it's where Sunshine would have a stroll other than their clearing.

Huh, _'their' _clearing. That sounded kinda nice. But then again; if they were to cross paths, she might freeze him into an ice sculpture and hit it with an aluminum baseball bat, if she had ever seen one that is. It was really laughable on how much she didn't know about the modern era.

_'Where was she all those years? Hiding under a rock?'_ he chuckled but the thought had left him thinking about how much she had missed.

She was so lost when they passed by the stores and she even blushed when there was a mannequin that displayed a mini skirt that ended three inches above the knees. He had no knowledge about fashion history but he will bet his whole existence that back in her time; that skirt would have been burned in the fire, along with the wearer.

So she said she was over two hundred years old huh? That meant she was born within the 1800's. And to call him a kid, that was a laugh since he was almost a century ahead of her. He learned in Jamie's history books about timelines and from what he gathered; he was part of a colonial community. Back in the 1700's to be exact.

There it was; the five note song that entered his ears and he automatically went to the source and found Fluff on a branch with other birds. The little guy tried to socialize with the other species but as soon as he hopped too close, they all flew away. Jack whistled the five note song back and Fluff flew from the branch to him. He looked a bit thin as opposed to his originally round body.

She did say that she needed to monitor them or they will fall apart so does it mean that Fluff ran away? Or did Sunshine chase it off? The bird sat on his shoulder and rubbed his head against his cheek.

"You don't look so good there little fella" he muttered. The bird cheeped softly, an echo of his usually loud chirp and the snow fell in larger amounts than he last saw him.

He bounded through the trees and crossed the rivers and ponds which froze over when his feet touched their surface. He was not even remotely close to their usual meeting place when he spotted her. She was walking around the woods as her big blue eyes surveyed everything around her like she was searching for something.

Fluff immediately whistled to get her attention and it worked. Her head turned to the sound and Jack found himself standing there like the first time he saw her at Stockholm.

She was far better off than when he last saw her. The fair skin glowed rather than the sickly pale complexion and her lips formed into a small 'o' when she saw them. Fluff hopped from his shoulder and flew to her without hesitation. Sunshine didn't run nor stepped towards him; she didn't move at all. They stood there staring, waiting what the other one was going to do before he took matters into his own hands.

He pocketed his hands into his hoodie and gave a crooked smile, "Hey Sunshine" It caught him off-guard when she smiled shyly and relief covered her face. Did she feel bad about that scene in the street? Man, he had a lot of questions that had no answers to.

What he didn't expect as well was that she opened her mouth and gently said, "Hello Jack Frost"

**_-',-_**

There was an awkward silence for a moment before Sunshine suddenly blurted out an apology. She kept popping out these kinds of surprises which made his previous days a little less horrible. Fluff was ecstatic to have a full round body again and began to irritate the other animals by flying to them and sing his song.

He leaned on the tree trunk while she sat on the ground in a lady-like fashion. She must have been a part of a noble family because her manners were far too disciplined. She even straightened her bodice when she sat on the ground. No ordinary townsfolk girl would attend to something as useless like that. She kept her poise and held her chin up but she had lost that icy stare and grumpy expression that forced him to acknowledge the fact that she was actually a stunningly beautiful young woman. Older than he was when he died but not too far, maybe for a year or two.

And the biggest change was the way she talked to him in an almost friendly tone. He could tell she was nervous; she was biting her bottom lip again and shifted her hands. The nearly translucent gloves were new as well.

"Where did you get them?" he asked.

"I made it" she answered, "It helps"

If this was the old Sunshine, she would have ignored his question and shrug him off but to give him an opportunity to have a follow-up question was rare.

She was full of surprises.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

It was a delicate topic but who else can she turn to? He had the same gift and the only one who knew her. She had her pride but if she wanted to have a friendship with him, he must know the precautions that went with it.

"Help with what?" he asked, his eyebrows raised and curiosity seeped from his entire body.

If she was still alive, her heart would have pounded against her chest and sweat flooded from her pores as nervousness kicked in. But now, there was only the sudden shift in the air and she found herself twisting her fingers in her gloves,

"It helps to control my powers."

He scratched his head and a questioning light was present in his eyes, "I don't get it; how can you _not_ control it? Believe me Sunshine; you're always in control of everything."

This time, the all familiar affronted look replaced worry, "That's not true! You speak as if I force what I want on everything!"

"Well it proves you're a girl. A bratty one" he joked but Elsa glared at him and crossed her arms to her chest. It was her 'I'm not amused' posture that most of the castle's staff back at Arendelle had dreaded. It wasn't that she was a spoiled child but it only came up front whenever an ignorant and ill-mannered counselor would hint that the sisters were not suited to lead Arendelle and it need a king, not a queen or sometimes when an insolent suitor would come to the castle unannounced and flaunted his status to the uninterested queen. They all ended up the same way; thrown out of the castle by the harsh slap of a snowstorm and unceremoniously dropped on the Arendelle Sea. It was the only time she dropped her poise and she didn't like doing in under the public eye.

She wasn't that controlling was she?

The horror and shock must've shown to her face because Jack immediately retracted his comment and insisted that it was only a joke.

"C'mon, that's what friends do, they just push each other's buttons and-"

"The buttons on their shirts? What does that mean, does it have something to do with the quality of clothing?"

"This is gonna take a while"

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

It was more than fun, he decided. With her, it's not just snowballs and fun times. It's also about trust and friendship. She was straight to the point about her favor,

"Teach me on how to control my powers."

That statement alone backed up his theory that she was a noble in her past life. Though it wasn't a command, it wasn't a request either. She stood up and took off her cape, stood in the middle of a vacant area and waited for him. He stood up as well with an exaggerated sigh and placed his staff on his shoulder, "Alright Sunshine, let's see what you can do."

"How, exactly?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, do what you regularly do I guess, then we'll climb up to tougher things."

And so she did as she was told. She manipulated every snow around her, built snowmen and erected large castles that was made with clear and smooth ice. Sculpted faceless people with different clothes stood amongst the other creations and they were the most detailed.

"Okay, I failed to see how you can't control it" he finally said after she somehow managed to cram everything in the forest.

She took a few minutes to gaze upon the things she had crafted with her snow. Far too long had she lost her sense of appreciation to the things she made. It must be because she'd seen it as more of a curse than that of a gift. She did use them with ease and precision that it was a mystery on why she loses that control in the first place.

Jack hummed in thought and cupped his chin, "This is just an idea, but it'll work."

She tilted her head and asked, "_What_ will work?"

He didn't say anything before he sent a bolt of what looked like a blue lightning to her direction. Her eyes widened and deflected the light with her own ice that protected her from harm. '_What was he doing?!' _she screamed in her mind. He advanced with his staff gripped tight in his hands and his eyes were void of any emotions. She took a couple of steps back and held up her hands. A wall of glacier erupted from the ground and she pushed it back out of fright.

There were pieces of ice shards that flew just behind her. She didn't notice that he had sneaked up behind her and was struck his staff only for her ice to protect her upon instincts. Spontaneous ruptures of snow and hail enveloped her and found that she couldn't see through them. She was lost, trapped. Her power spun out of her control as icicles formed under her feet and shot shards everywhere. But he still found her through the thick mists and he raised his staff to strike her down. Elsa's knees buckled down to the deep snow and yelled out "No!"

But the hit didn't came. She opened to eyes tentatively and found herself staring at his own with a smile on his face.

_'Smack!'_

All she could do was slap him. The sound was raw and it reverberated all over the forest. Even the birds flew from the trees in fright.

He sluggishly positioned his head from the left side back to the middle, a red and painful looking welt was stamped on his right cheek. Her palm throbbed but she glared at him and felt the stinging of tears in her eyes. He flinched when he poked the spot and groaned, "That's going to leave a mark."

"Why did you attack me?" she roared. Ice needles sprang from the ground but he didn't budge, like he was confident that she won't hurt him. His arrogance would be his undoing.

"Your emotions" he simply answered.

"What are you talking about?" Her posture was defensive and she flinched when he moved his hand but it was an offer her to help her stand up,

"Your powers feed off your emotions. If you can't control what you're feeling, your power goes haywire."

He was right, of course. Whenever she panicked, the ice would move on their own and her instincts to fight were awakened from their slumber in the form of the deadly element. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I'll teach you. You did ask for it right?" he offered a grin, "Trust me, I won't ever leave you"

His words had called forth a wave of heat on her face and an uncomfortable pinch on her chest but she hid it with a scoff and faintly smiled,

"That's what I'm afraid of"

**_-',-_**

**_End of Chapter Eight_**

* * *

><p>Author's Corner<p>

Whew, longest chapter I have written, so far! I want to dedicate this to DeniseAgron and to the supporters of this fic. Wanna thank the reviewers mostly, because without you guys, I wouldn't have even made it past chapter 2! Now my favorite part, replying to reviews

Jules15: Thanks, many did say that they'd never saw this coming which means it's good news for me since no one had ever done this before (Correct me if I'm wrong). Hope you'll continue to like this.

Guest (Anon): Oh I'm itching to tell you how it's gonna be but I can't since it'll be a spoiler

HuaiYin: Aww don't be surprised! I'm not awesome, you are! And it's a good thing you found my version of them believable because I wanted them to be more realistic. I've seen Jamie as a more mature kid and he's not the type who would throw a tantrum (or will he?) hahaha but yes, writing Pitch's part was always the best. I don't know why but the way he moves, talks and thinks was very alluring. Either he was one of the most loveable villains or I only have a screwed up brain! But anyways, thanks for the cookies x3 and I'll try to stay true to my writing-style. Hope to hear from you soon dear (wow that rhymed!)

Dramachick4thewin: aww thanks. I'll try to add some your ideas into the story which will prove to be a challenge because the story was already finished in my notebook but I promise that I'll try!

StarMaster7: Dear, you have no idea how much I wanted to spill a paragraph on the future chapters. I will PM you for a very special message because you are a really special reader for me. I always played with the idea of bringing the old Elsa back, she was easy to portray and her contradicting personalities was such a treat to write. Anyway, I hope you like this as well and I hope to hear from you soon!

miharu. yumi: No it was perfectly alright. I did skim over the previous chapters and saw the unedited chapters. It seems that it didn't upload the finished product hence the errors. I was actually expecting that kind of response concerning Jamie's take on Jack's mental absence. Sadly we didn't see much of Jamie's personality in the film so he was mostly a happy, curious kid but I sorta tweaked him a bit in my story because he was also developing his mental and psychological state. I kinda likened him to myself when I was a kid his age. Either I was thinking ahead of my age or I was just majorly screwed in the head. Meh but anyways thank you for pointing it out and to give a nod to my writing was a gift. So again, thank you and happy reading :)

StormyRebel: Thank you for liking my story. But I can't promise to cut down my Author's Corner though, it's the place where I let my thoughts run wild and thank the readers for their support and answer their questions. It's alright to not read it but sometimes I would clarify things so the readers won't get confused and ask questions. Thanks for supporting this story and I hope to hear from you soon :)

I would also like to thank: FanGirlAllTheWay and sweetangel014!

Eto tsel' nashego sushchestvovaniya - Russian for "It is the purpose of our existence"

So, uh, Read and Review and stuff like that! NO flames and I'm open to PM chatting and requests. If you have an incredible plot in mind, don't hesitate to write! Bye and have a great day or night xD


	9. Dependency

_**Finne Min Senter**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Nine<br>Dependency**_

_**-',-**_

In the darkest spot of the Earth where the shadows rule and light was but a speck; Pitch Black breathed in the bountiful fright and misery the children had provided him but their fear was nothing compared to that of their parents'. Oh those adults who were running around like headless chickens, frantically searching for their missing children gave him unbelievable strength. He felt even more powerful than in the Dark Ages. He began to experiment and fiddled with his Fearlings and Nightmares. Shadows were now an instrument he could use in broad daylight. Everyone suspects everyone else and to see a dark corner in a street or alley, oh this was too good to pass!

When he managed to get a glimpse of the moon, its light was waning and he longed to gloat at his 'old friend' but there was still much to be done. He had succeeded in getting the instruments he needed and now, it was only the matter of time before he could secure the Snow Queen in his grasp.

Strange though, he had left a tiny fleck of shadow on her mirror to feed off her fear and it momentarily stopped before it began to absorbed fear in a single glorious moment then it halted completely. He first thought that she had left and changed her location but the shadow didn't return to him. How odd...

"I think it's time for a little visit, don't you think so Onyx?" he asked over his shoulder to a large Nightmare who stood guard in one of the many cages that was filled with children whose dreams were plagued by never ending nightmares and hopelessness.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

"One more time. Take a deep breath and let the ice flow out steadily" Jack instructed as she lifted her hands up and did what she was told. He called this training, 'Breathing Exercises' and it certainly did help her to calm down somewhat. He would purposely do things to annoy and anger her but he never pushed it. Because she might accidentally impale him if he did but on the other hand, it was to really help sort out her emotions and channel her ice to react differently.

Beneath that irresponsible and immature image was an intelligent and rather insightful young man. Who knew? He watched over her like a hawk during her lessons and was not shy to point out an error.

She had longed to share him the world she used to live but she decided against it; the less he knew the better and less complicated it would be. If he had known her previous life the way Pitch did, he'd be disgusted with her. But he wasn't without his own secrets as well. There were days where he didn't come to their meeting place and he looked at the horizon with alert eyes. Sometimes she caught him leaning against a tree with his staff on his forehead and mumbled words that she couldn't comprehend.

Right after she finished the exercise, she turned her head to Jack who nodded and raised his staff to level his chest. Without warning, her ice spilled from her feet and from the air which formed into spikes. He held his hand up and lowered his staff with the other as she frantically tried to call her ice back. She assumed that it would be easier but it proved to be a problem every time he did that.

Thoughts over emotions were the key for her to control it but her instincts won in almost every battle against her mind. Every time he moved, she reacted especially when he held the staff in his hands. She felt threatened, a beast that was backed up to a corner, forced to bring out its claws and fangs just to escape.

_This was useless_, she thought. For days they did this and there was no progress whatsoever. He kept encouraging her and was unnaturally tolerant. Although she was grateful, it didn't help one bit. Her hopes of continuing to exist without any fear diminished little by little and it showed in her performance and his patience had already reached its limit.

"You're not even holding it back" he accused, "If you're not trying with all you've got then why bother doing it in the first place?"

She stared at him. His normally playful tone was gone, his face was set into an annoyed expression. There were numerous occasions where she questioned about why he was happy all the time and he cheekily answered that she wouldn't want to see him get angry. Now that he exposed that side of him she'd never seen before; she didn't know what to expect. His normal personality was already a handful and for him to act this way towards her, it did offend her a bit.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

Jack exhaled slowly from his mouth and ran a hand through his hair. Irritation and impatience had drilled into his chest and head. The lack of clues from the places he went to and the most recent news that a little girl from Mexico was taken had gnawed into his mind. Guilt and helplessness was a dangerous mix that swirled into his psyche.

He visited Jamie two days ago and according to him; everything was the same old boring stuff but that energetic vibe that radiated from him gave it away. Jack thought and secretly expected that Jamie will be sulking and angry about his recent absence but Jamie hadn't said anything about it so he didn't pry. It's not that he wasn't worried or interested but North's words forced him to take a step back.

He didn't want to admit it but the thought of Jamie moving on with his life without him was hurtful. He was being outgrown by his best friend. Okay, maybe he was overreacting, overthinking things because of the kidnappings. So if he was imagining it, why did it felt so real?

Jack's eyes widened and chased the thoughts out of his head. This feeling, _this fear_; it pulled him down to the pit where he once was. The spirit who so desperately wanted, craved, for someone to believe him. North was telling the truth; he unconsciously branded Jamie as his sole believer.

_What will Jamie think about all this?_

He stopped himself from lingering too much in that thought and snapped his attention back to Sunshine. She was frowning, '_When was she not?_', he thought. Her arms were crossed against her chest and her gaze remained on the ground. He heard her breathe in deeply and slump her shoulders. This wasn't good; she was giving up already and when he replayed the moments that transpired minutes ago, he groaned again.

It looks like Sunshine wasn't the only one who needed to control their feelings. But on a darker, secretive side of him; he was smug about her reaction. Now she knows what it felt whenever she did that to him. Still, his friendliness and big brother-role dominated so he took a step back.

He closed his eyes for a bit and rubbed the side of his cheek; things were not going so well for the both of them. He heard Sunshine clear her throat and the rustle of her transparent cape against the snow-covered ground.

"Is there... something wrong?" she was hesitant, cautious about how she would approach him and it was alright because he wasn't himself. But he didn't want her to be wary of him since they were past that stage. The sight of her gloves curved his brooding thoughts from the kidnappings and his impatience to a series of more questions that now regarded her side.

Sunshine hasn't noticed but she developed a habit of pulling on her wrists just to make sure the gloves were still intact. A self-defence mechanism to be exact; the gloves gave her some sort of anchor, kept her grounded otherwise; she'd lose herself in a whirlwind of anger, fear and sorrow. At least, that's what he pretty much summed up.

He realized that she was waiting for him to answer her and picked on his thumbnail, "Yeah, thinking about something important."

Then, there it was. A very much unlady-like sound that came from her lips. Sunshine _snorted_. She was aware about her actions because she was quick to hide it behind her hand and a tinge of pink peppered her exposed cheeks.

"I never thought I would hear you say something like that"

Her statement was intentionally mocking but he found it amusing, funny even. He didn't think he'll say something like that either.

She finished with another throat-clearing and said; "It sounds serious"

He nodded. An idea had been playing in his mind but he wasn't sure if doing it will be a good choice. This was classified Guardians business and the Big Four will have his head and mount it on the wall by North's fireplace if they ever caught wind of this. But he was desperate; he can't stay silent and he needed to release this stress by talking to someone. Jamie was obviously out of the question. He was too young, even with his intelligence, he was still a kid. And it will raise some alarms and causing a widespread panic was the last thing Jack wanted to do. Except if the results will be funny or just plain awesome and the circumstances wasn't grave.

"Hey, remember our jobs as Guardians?" he asked.

Sunshine nodded and cocked her head to her right to show that he has her full attention (so that's what it meant) and bore her eyes at him. Was it just him or did her blue eyes turn a shade darker? But that wasn't important, he needed her to understand the severity of their, actually his, situation.

As he told her the same thing North had reported to them, she showed twice as many emotions than he had ever seen from her. From seriousness to shock, all she said in the end was,

"Those poor children"

"Yeah. I don't get it, what kind of psycho kidnap children? I mean- what do they do to them?"

He didn't want an answer to that one. The lesson was now forgotten, neither of them were in the mood of continuing anyway. Snow slowly dropped from the sky and froze in midair. Jack looked around and the scene around him was like he was pulled in a freaking snow globe. This wasn't natural snow and he knew that they were the only ones who can bend the very fabric of natural order within the elements. Obviously Sunshine was distressed and her snow mirrored her current feelings.

The Man in the Moon was no help, as usual. He can see everything from where he was but he won't tell them who? That's complete bull, was he playing some sort of sadistic game where he will send them into a crazy round-about chase where they didn't even know who or what they're trying to get?

With unbridled anger, he struck his staff on the ground hard and cursed, "God damn it!" The ground froze instantly and a bolt of light frizzled on the air, popping few of the floating snowflakes.

A 'tsk' of disapproval broke through the sound and he saw Sunshine with a strict frown on her face and her fingers drummed against her forearms. "Mind your language" she simply hissed.

One thing he hated the most, aside from being told what to do and being ignored; it was lectures. It made him feel like a child and it pushed him even further from the boundaries of his temper. He scowled and tapped his staff on the ground. Frost swept the snow from its perch and frozen the ground and every tree in came in contact with. Sunshine glowered at him and stomped her right foot in retaliation.

Her own ice erupted from the ground and mingled with his frost. It was the battle of wills and both were too stubborn on their own right. Jack moved his staff with the flick of his right wrist and his frost trudged forth to her space. He was challenging her but at the same time, it's to help with her 'little problem'. It's tricky and even suicidal but it was always like that every time he approached her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

Elsa never saw herself as an impatient woman. If anything, she was sweet-tempered and consenting enough for childish nonsense but with that brutish attitude? She won't hesitate from ripping the gloves from her hands and let him get a taste of her wrath.

His body stiffened as her ice ate through his own and drew a line between them. Her ice crystals furled under his frost and continued to grow underneath like a shadow. Elsa felt her anger echo in every shard and snow that she conjured and his frost reacted by crawling around and contained it into random patterns.

She swept her hands across the landscape and through his feet but when he traced her ice with his staff; his frost came forth and blocked hers.

Had she looked at his face, she would have seen the smug look on him and the mischievous light in his eyes. Her flight reflex was off and stood her ground; unaware that she was doing what Jack wanted. Irritation ate her rational thoughts and her sole objective was to knock some manners into him and remind Jack who he was dealing with.

She struck the ground with her magic and a wall of ice appeared just below him. He nimbly jumped out of its way and threw a snowball right to her. She gasped shielded her face with her arms. When it hit her, she gestured a scooping motion and threw a ball right back at him. He dodged it and threw another one that hit her squarely on the face.

Bit by bit the snow crumbled down to reveal her expression. But it didn't reflect rage or furiousness but more of an infectious mock anger; identical to Anna's face when Elsa tricked her to dance with the Duke of Whestleton at the Coronation party. What was in that snowball? Her chest felt lighter and the need to play and have fun coursed through her being.

Everything around her was so bright and so beautiful; it was amazing how she had been here dozens of times whereas she felt like she'd never stumbled upon this place. Something bubbled in her chest and her lips opened to let out a breathless and almost inaudible laugh. Jack laughed as well and yelled out,

"Snowball fight, Round Two!"

This was not the right time to fool around for the both of them but Elsa purposely ignored that, she wanted to be a child again. Ever since that horrible incident with Anna, she was kept away from other people. The only ones allowed to visit her was her parents and her nanny, Gerda. She couldn't help but think that her childhood was taken from her. Forced to take private lessons and control her magic, playtime and laughter was but a sweet dream that had dashed off as years went by.

The past melted from her sight and the present rolled in like a storm as Jack swooped down with a snowball at hand. Corners of her lips lifted ever so slightly before she pushed her hands up high and sent powdery ice crystals that temporarily blinded him. He raised his staff in self-defence when he dusted the slowly growing frost on his face. At first, she thought he was stalling because he kept wiping his face with his hands but the ice crawled on his face and down to his neck.

Elsa stopped her advances and stared at horror as her geometrically-patterned frost embedded itself to his skin and his scratching was useless.

Panic began to well up inside of her; beneath her feet, the light blue layer turned into a murky gray colour and the temperature dropped dramatically. She was losing control over her magic again. The storm inside her brewed and it slowly made its way out to release its rage. Elsa pushed her clenched fists against her temple and closed her eyes shut.  
><em><br>Conceal, don't feel_

_Conceal, don't feel_

The words were repeated in her brain like a chant but the surge of her magic didn't yield and grew as seconds ticked by. Her whole body trembled and her knees threatened to buckle on the ground, she opened her eyes to look at Jack but her vision was obscured by her own snowstorm. She snapped her eyes shut again and began to curl up in a ball when suddenly-

"Don't be afraid" a voice said

A voice that was heard above the howling winds, encouraging, coaxing her to calm herself down. Before she knew what was happening, a large circle appeared under their feet and when he clamped his hands together his staff; light blue bolts sparked and formed a dome around them. She opened her eyes, squinting from the intruding sunlight and took in the sight; the snowstorm was gone and all that remained was the moist air and the heap of freshly fallen snow on the ground.

Jack placed a hand on his cheek and showed it to her up close, "See? It will go away eventually." Elsa leaned closer and despite her natural displeasure from touching others, she traced his cheek with feathery touches and her mouth shaped into a small 'O'.

"How is this possible?" she asked, unconsciously tugging at her gloves as he crossed his arms together and knitted his eyebrows with the same inquisitive manner,

"Maybe it's because I can also the same power"

"Or maybe because you're a spirit as well" she offered, "I certainly have never frozen another spirit before"

Jack glided to the nearest tree and propped his arms behind his head, "Plus I'm the only spirit you've ever met so how can you know right?"

Elsa nearly stumbled and quickly made a poker-face. Pitch Black was definitely one of the subjects she will never talk about, ever. He was a dirty little secret that no one should ever know, especially by a Guardian. The way Jack had described Pitch reflected on how much she despised the shadow man; he was cunning, untrustworthy and dangerous. Simple things such as talking to him drained her and not just mentally with his mind games, but it was like he was feeding off of her. A parasite.

_Mann I Mørket_ had told her he fed on fear and it gave her all the more reason to be chary around him. Not only did he made it clear that he wanted her ability but her feelings as well. A part of her wanted to tell Jack everything but as always, she decided against it. What would he say, what would he think of her had he known that she has connections with his enemy?

"Ah" he suddenly snapped his fingers, "I have somewhere to be right now!" He jumped up and rode the wind and turned to the East, "Sorry Sunshine, gotta go!"

A wave of disappointment washed over her but Elsa just nodded and turned away. Fluff glided down to her eye level and twittered its song as she continued to walk to her mountain, choosing to absorb the scene before her rather than fly off.

As soon as she stepped into her cave, she went to the farthest side and began to mold the heap of snow and froze it into an ice block. It was a couple of inches taller than her and she carefully cut the sides with a slashing motion. She had an eye in detail and she had memorized everything from the hair that stuck out in a stubborn cowlick down to his bare feet. Unconsciously, she began to hum a random song that had no words. The day started badly but it got better and her head was clear enough for her to question herself;

"Why am I doing this?"

Usually she sculpted nature; animals, trees and flowers. They surrounded her and they were the only ones she cared enough to let them linger in her mind. She tried to sculpt Anna once but her chest clenched painfully that she gave up before she could even start with the outline.

Because she loved Anna dearly, her heart didn't let her do a tribute to her beloved sister.

It was difficult to understand the gist of companionship. She once had Anna but there was a bond that existed between the two sisters as long as she could remember so it was natural for her to be close to Anna. But to other people? Not even her own parents made her feel safe. She loved them, she really did but there was always a wall that stood between other people and her. The castle staff and the people of Arendelle were under her care but as horrible as it sounded, it felt like it was her duty, an obligation to love them because she was the queen and they were her subjects.

But what about Olaf and Marshmallow?

It was because they were a part of her. In a way, they were her children and they shall have a special place in her heart. But to let someone in, someone she was not obligated to care about, it was scary. And strange. He was her first and only true… friend? Yes, he's a friend. Someone she could talk to and emphasize with. A smile appeared once again on her face, if she kept this up, her jaws will hurt for the remainder of the day. She had never smiled this much since her return to Arendelle. Each gesture and flick of her wrist, the ice moved in accordance and the ice before her gradually became more and more detailed. The face was left smooth and blank and his staff wasn't sculpted yet when the cave darkened. Her eyes widened and she swept her hand over the sculpture to cover it with a thin veil of snow.

Out of the darkness, Pitch Black walked to her with a blank look, "It's nice to see you're well, Elsa"

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

The Boogeyman knew that the Snow Queen despised him, and he took that as a good thing for him. Hate was a powerful emotion and the more she throws it at his face, the more she exposes herself. She was slipping from her indifference… and he needed to know why. There were three things he immediately noticed; the mirror was hidden to a dark corner and he felt a dark source underneath the veil. The second thing was a block of ice that was also veiled from sight and thirdly, she looked _nervous_. That was completely different from the Snow Queen he knew. Elsa would put on a strong and emotionless front whenever they interacted. It made her look weak, a victim to his power but the lingering fear makes a delightful tinge to his body. She has fear, but for what?

To him?

Impossible. He knew that her fear will never be directed at him and so the possibilities might be that she did something that he could use to turn against her or maybe she found out his plans but it was also impossible. She had no care for humans and their dilemmas so it must be personal. Still, he can't keep his attention away from the ice block. Nonetheless, he ignored it for the meantime and placed a hand over the other, "I assume that you know why I'm here…?

Her face contorted with anger and crossed her arms, "And I assume that you know my answer. There's no use in asking the same question over and over because my answer will never change." There was that defiant look again that Pitch loathed deeply. Whenever she did that, he remembered Jack Frost and their little chat in Antarctica. Those eyes that challenged him, no fear and unyielding. He was sick of those eyes. But he didn't drop his façade; this was his game and he will not lower his level such as showing his displeasure.

"Well I suggest you pick a side because there will be a storm coming" he said. He watched her stiffen and narrowed her eyes at him with suspicion. Ah, so she might have caught wind of his… activities then. But she was always suspicious of him so he changed the topic elsewhere, "You seem, different somehow" It did the trick; her eyes widened and took a couple of steps back._ 'Oh this was too easy'_ he chuckled, her emotions were flying all over the place and did she think he wouldn't see the gloves? She was trying to get rid of her icy demeanor and he will make sure that she will regret that decision. But then, he could use that as a weapon, the more she was vulnerable, the faster he could get to her.

"What storm are you talking about?" her voice sliced through the silence.

He smirked and let the shadows play along the edges of the cave, the air was thick with tension and curiously, it came from the mirror. There was a buzz in the atmosphere and she wasn't hiding her anxiety to get him out of her cave. Pitch glided to the mirror and he could feel it pulsing as he took a step closer. A shard of ice swooped in front of him and he turned to the Snow Queen. Her eyes were fierce and her stance was stiff,

"Get out" she grounded, ice gathered to his feet and he knew that she will not hesitate to use all her powers to throw him out of her cave. So far they had been civil at most but he dare not push his luck. He sent a look of disdain to her before he caught a glimpse of then sculpture underneath the veil that didn't cover the left side properly. The statue of a boy wearing a jacket with a hood. And the resemblance, no matter how vivid it was under the veil, was too symmetrical to be of coincidence. The thought processed in to his mind and it took every strength he had to keep his laughter in place.

"Very well Snow Queen" he sneered, "Until we meet again" He slinked backwards to the hearth of the shadows but didn't let his eyes stray from the hidden sculpture. It wasn't until he was back into his lair did he let out a chilling laugh with glee, "She's making this too easy! Ah my dear, you're digging your own grave. Of all the spirits you came across with... it just had to be him!" His laughter echoed in the minds of people everywhere and they brought dark and terrible nightmares with them.

_**-',-**_

_**End of Chapter Nine**_

* * *

><p>Author's Corner:<p>

Man, I am so so sorry for the long wait because I had a couple things I had to take care of but anyways, I'm always happy to read your reviews! On a sadder note, I got a little PM that suggested that I should take this down because that person insisted that it was 'almost too much like my story' and theirs was better. I'm sorry but it's rude and I may have cussed a bit here and there when I read that. I know my story wasn't perfect with the few errors here and there but as I said before, I just started writing and I haven't edited it yet.

But I won't take this down because a lot of people had supported me and I will not let them down just because my self-esteem had been cut down. So. here are the people I want to thank:

maggi le fay: Gracias por la revisión! Necesitaba que él sea distraer por un tiempo más, aunque xD

Dramachick4thewin: Of course! I always take your ideas for considerations!

Jelsa Fanatic: Usually every 3 to 4 days but sooner when I get more reviews because they excite me too much.

HuaiYin: Darling, you just gave me an idea for a good Pitch-centic fanfic! And I love your character analysis. You notice the finer details that I wanted to picture out and I love you for that! Hope to hear from you and that you liked this chapter

DeniseAgron: You, have made my whole month! I've never seen anyone review each and every chapter as much as you do! Thank you for your comments and suggestions because they meant the world to me!

SnowQueen: Hmmm I dunno how to answer that but the best I can say is that: Don't write to gain fans but rather treat your story as a gift you will give to the receiver (readers) and think out of the box. Inspiration will come to you and plan ahead That's all I can say

auPHE: Well, this IS Disney. Chances are they're really gonna downplay the dark theme but I think Gerda and Kai were there, as castle staffs I think. In my own opinion, the plot was beautiful and family-friendly compared to the original. Along with Pocahontas, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Hunchback of Notre Dame, etc.

Maict: I know, I disliked 'Love at first sight' stories. Thanks for pointing out the error!

Happy Wheels: Thanks for praising the story's pace! Although I was a bit miffed with the amount of fluff hehehe because I don't like any large dose of sweetness in my story but if it made you happy then I'll retain it :)

fluffybunnyintheclouds: Oh my you made me blush! To know that someone liked this story so much made me giggle like a schoolgirl xD I hope that this will exceed your expectations and for you to praise my characterization, this is truly an honor!

I would also like to thank: AffyRainbws, FangirlAllTheWay, jinouga23 and ForeignerWritingInEnglish for your reviews and love.

That's it for now folks, **Read and Review** and please, no flames.


	10. Disillusioned

_**Finne Min Senter**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Ten<br>Disillusioned**_

* * *

><p>-',-<p>

Jamie listened and watched the news as best as he could without slipping to boredom. It was tough to try and catch anything that involved the Guardians. What was he supposed to get anyway? Back then, times were simple, easy. He was just a regular kid who was blissfully oblivious to the battle that raged between the Guardians and Pitch Black. Now that he was an ally; he felt like he has a responsibility as their unofficial brother-in-arms. But it didn't mean that it wasn't exciting! Imagine, working side by side with Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and Sandman was ultra cool! Not to mention meeting Jack Frost was really a kid's dream coming true.

Nothing interesting in the news though, he can't really understand them anyways so why bother? He chewed on the cap of his pen and leaned on his bed. On his lap was a notepad that was scribbled with disjointed sentences and words. It must be super important for Jack not to say anything and he was itching to know. He was part of the team right? He drummed the pen on the headboard and stared up at the bars that held the bed cushion of Sophie's bunk.

There was a tapping sound on the glass and a grin was on his face before he could even notice it. Jack opened the windows and jumped in with his beaming face. Jamie climbed out of bed and held up a fist To which the winter spirit bumped with his own.

"How's it going bud?" he asked as he settled on the foot of Sophie's bunk.

Jamie flopped to the nearest chair and leaned his body against the spine, "Not much. Just the same old boring stuff. How about you? You've been gone for days Jack, you said we're gonna have fun" There was a guilty look on his friend's face that he counted on. Just a bit more push and Jack will crack; he was never the one to keep a secret for too long and a guilt-trip was all that he needed. But the spirit just quirked a crooked smile and balanced his staff on his palm,

"I was just a bit occupied with my job" he answered.

His response didn't convince the boy, not one bit. If he does things seriously, there was something wrong; he was lying. Jamie frowned and stared at Jack but the Guardian wasn't even fazed. So he huffed and kicked on the carpeted floor which caused Jack to, finally, jump down from the bed and kneeled on the floor to level with Jamie's brown eyes.

"Why don't you trust me?" he muttered.

Jack looked conflicted; his eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were curled down like he was debating in his head. Jamie didn't particularly enjoy what he was doing but he want some answers and she needed to pressure his friend to give in. But he forgot about how stubborn Jack was. All he got was a hand on his head and asked if he wanted to play outside.

Jamie wanted to yell "No!" and throw a tantrum like a normal kid but he didn't, instead, he let Jack herd him to the porch and sat on the steps.

Jamie leaned against a pillar and fiddled with his thumbs, "Are you doing some dangerous stuff?" He waited for Jack to answer but he didn't expect him to respond. His best friend can dodge everything even questions that were sensitive like his sister so he almost jumped when Jack answered with a solemn,

"Yeah"

All the playfulness and teasing was gone. Jamie had never seen Jack so serious and he didn't like it. Where was the optimistic, 'can-do-everything' Jack who always reassured him that everything will turn out fine? His friend must've sensed his distress because when he looked up, a small pile of snowballs were laid in front of him, waiting ti be thrown.

He shifted his gaze from the pile to his companion who gave a faint smile and bounced a snowball in his hand, "Care for a round?"

Jamie returned the grin and nodded before he ran inside to fetch his gloves and bonnet. His notebook and pen were forgotten on top of the desk and a shadow flitted between the floorboards, unnoticed by everyone else.

Sophie, who was watching a Swedish kid show in the living room, saw him running and decided to follow him. His mom and Cassidy were busy baking cookies and Aron was out with Erik. He tucked his fingers snugly in each respective place and tugged his bonnet down to his ears as he ran out of the house.

"Hop hop hop!" Sophie giggled as she jumped down from the steps. Jack laughed as a throaty woof joined in Sophie's cheer. Soon, all three of them were having fun in the snow while Felix watched them with large eyes.

_'Just like old times'_ Jamie smiled in his thoughts. Back to where everything was normal. But what is normal, really? He forgot about the matters around him that surrounded the invisible world of legends and myths and focused on building a snowman. For some reason, Sophie climbed on a small tree and reached for something that sat on the higher branches. Both Jack and Jamie were busy throwing snowballs at each other that they didn't notice Sophie climb even higher before disaster happened.

It happened so fast that Jamie could have sworn it was a dream. A crack of a branch giving out and Sophie's choked scream rang through the yard. Felix barked loudly and ran to her.

But what he would never, ever, miss was the way Jack yelled out, "_Sunshine!_" as he sprinted across the area as fast as he could and caught the shaking little girl and held her against his chest. He slowly landed on the ground and let her sit on the pile of snow. Jamie ran towards them, he panicked for a moment when Sophie just sat there with wide eyes.

"Oh man, Soph, c'mon are you okay?"

If his mom found out what happened, he'll be as good as dead. His younger sister had a nasty habit of falling and it gave them the jitters especially his mom whenever Sophie ended up on the ground. Tooth Fairy was a regular visitor to their home other than Jack because Sophie had lost almost all her milk teeth before her older brother with all the accidents she got herself into.

Sophie snapped out of her daze then she giggled and stood up like she was merely sitting on the ground "Hehehe, pretty birdie!" she chanted and stood up to hop around the yard like nothing happened.

"Huh" Jamie breathed out and dusted off the snow from his sweater and turned to Jack. But Jack's eyes scanned the trees and squinted through the clouds.

"You're doing it again," he pointed out. Jack blinked a couple of times before he looked down with an innocent expression,

"Doing what?"

"You're spacing out on me again! Jack, is there something going on with the Guardians and," he swept his eyes all over the place before he dropped his voice and uttered, "Pitch?"

His response was instantaneous; his body was poker straight and he gripped his staff tighter that necessary. Jack leveled his face down to his and peered straight into his eyes,

"It's official need-to-know basis kiddo, just promise me that you'll stay out of trouble"

Jamie rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "I never get mixed up in any kind of trouble, that's more of your turf."

The Guardian scoffed and flicked on his forehead, "Woah, where did you learn to back-sass huh?" Jamie poked out his tongue and said, "From you."

"Ah, then you learned from the best" he replied.

* * *

><p>Jack sighed as Sophie molded the snow with her tiny fingers, that little fall incident was now forgotten but there was one detail that Jamie brought up,<p>

"Wait, why did you yell '_sunshine_'?" the boy asked with curiosity in his tone.

Jack nearly dropped his staff. His breathing stopped and the whole place just went quiet. Jamie was staring up at him expectantly and he could feel sweat flood out of every pore. Sunshine was his secret, she made him promise and he slipped. He hated lying to Jamie but he can't just break a promise with his new friend at the same time, so he said a silent apology and forced a chuckle at Jamie, "Haha sunshine? Did _I_ say that? You're hearing strange things Jamie, better get your ears checked"

He wasn't even entirely sure what he yelled but when he watched Sophie fall, all he saw was a young woman with braided platinum blonde hair in her place. This was wrong, so wrong on so many levels. He was supposed to be having fun with Jamie and Sophie but his mind kept running back to Sunshine.

He knew he was worried but he underestimated it to what degree that worry can reach. It was confusing, he never held this much concern over someone before, even if he compared it with Jamie. And when Sophie said 'Pretty birdie'... he was so sure it was Fluff.

He shook his head to clear disturbing thoughts. Disturbing yes, but not unpleasant. Each time an image of her popped into his mind, it never failed to make him smile and it was accompanied by a guilty aftertaste in his mouth. He knew he was being unfair for Jamie since he promised the kid he was going to be by his side the whole trip but...

Plans change.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

"It's alright, he will never know. Nothing bad will happen" Elsa whispered to herself as she paced back and forth across her cave. Fluff has yet to return and the nasty feeling of Pitch's recent visit still lingered in the air. The very thought of Pitch recruiting her was nauseating and the fear of him finding out about Jack...

Cloudy mists folded from the edge and miniature snowflakes appeared out thin air and floated along the breeze. She peered over her shoulder and eyed the covered sculpture. The veil exploded into a mist of white puffs when she waved her hand and observed the unfinished statue with critical eyes. There was conflict in her mind whether to tell Jack about_ Mann i Mørket _or not, on one hand; she might be able to help him solve the case of the missing children since she suspected Pitch had something to do with it. But on the other hand, she will get caught in the middle of crossfire and the last thing she wanted to do was fight.

As much as she loathed Pitch, she'd rather stay in neutral grounds. No doubt those Guardians would snoop around to get information about her and she can't rely on Jack to protect her. He was a Guardian first and foremost; he will do his job and if he found her as a threat... Elsa didn't dare dwell on the possible consequences.

She rubbed her forearms, the gloves felt foreign against the cloth of her dress and it was uncomfortable but she needed them, they restrained her from doing something stupid... like what she was doing right now.

Elsa took several steps back when she realized that she was slowly leaning to the Jack-statue. "How odd" she said, tugging at the end of her braid as she did so. Odd with the fact that she was seeking assurance and words of comfort from the one whom she likened the statue with. But she wasn't ignorant as to really wonder the reason behind this.

Jack Frost was her safe place.

His presence gave her a sense of security, warmth and companionship. Her very first friend, the very idea gave her butterflies in the stomach and a smile appeared once more. Friend... he was her special friend. The only one she could trust.

She had never experienced waiting for someone to come to her, even with Anna when she was still living. Her younger sister would just barge into the room unannounced and begged her sister to take a time off and walk with her in the gardens to play with the goslings. And she never took a 'no' for an answer. She had gotten a lot braver since the 'eternal winter' mishap and she was more outspoken to Elsa with her wants and wishes.

Elsa felt the side of her lips curl up when she reminisced with her times with Anna but she was forced to cut it short when white-hot blinding pain shot on her chest. She gasped out and clenched her hands and waited for the pain to pass. It was always like that; whenever she thought about her loved ones; Anna, her parents, Olaf, Marshmallow; her chest would ache like someone was piercing an icepick through her chest cavity and twist it around. The pain was enough to drive anyone to tears but she hasn't shed any.

She knew the consequences of her actions and she would be dishonest if she said that there were no regrets but it was fine. Loving someone would require weakness and vulnerability, two things she didn't want in her life... eternal life that is. There no one who can love someone like her anyway and she was completely confident that she can never love another as well.

Two... Three... Four days had passed and Jack still didn't show up at their training grounds, he wasn't in the clearing too and it made her worry rather than being angry at his absence. What happened to him? Was it about the kidnapping? More questions with no answers and it fed the anxiety that plagued her entire body. She calmed herself down when she noticed a thin line of black ice that seeped under her feet. It was disconcerting; like her mirror that grew darker and darker that she was considering throwing it out. Every time she looked at the reflection, everything on that side was gloomy, depressing and her own reflection was like looking at another person.

The woman had her hair, face and clothing but her eyes were cold, dead and frightening. It was enough for Elsa to cover it up and never lift the veil off again. She had seen the way Pitch regarded it and it alarmed her; whatever caught Pitch's attention, he will surely use it for his gain. Too much things were happening around her and it overwhelmed her to the point that she wanted to hide away from it all. But she finally took a stand; she won't hide nor would she run. She wanted to continue on without hesitation and fear. She didn't want to just exist, she wanted to live.

A playful breeze tickled the back of her neck and her eyes followed the tiny frosts that made their way to the sky. The pearly outline of the moon had caused her smile to falter a bit. Jack had mentioned that the 'Man in the Moon' can talk. So that meant that the moon was embodied by a spirit as well... And Jack did imply that the moon spirit was the leader of the Guardians. But judging on how Jack drawled it out, he was akin to the classic rebel without a cause.

She liked that about him; he was always speaking out whatever was on his mind no matter how blunt and even rude it was but at least he was honest. And she knew he can keep her secret safe.

Fluff's five-note song rang through the clearing and she turned around, expecting Jack to appear next to the bird but a hint of sadness hit her hard when she saw the bird return unaccompanied. Heat flushed on her cheeks and the impulse to bite her lower lip kicked in; she was getting impatient. Jack never mentioned how long he will be gone and for all she knew, he might have abandoned her!

_That wretched hellion!_

Swirls of wind mingled with snow whipped out of the ground before Elsa contained it. Okay, maybe it was Guardian business and he fulfilled his duties first. She had put her royal duties first as well when she was still alive. After all, was he not the Guardian of Fun? Although he was more suited for the title as the Guardian of Chaos because of his behavior. Thinking about it lightened her mood even for just a bit so she held up her hand to let Fluff perch on her finger.

Fluff chirped loudly and shook his body twice, shedding snow all over her hand and tugged at her bangs. Elsa shook her head and petted the bird's head.

"Jack has been gone for a while now" she started, "I know that he'll be back but... I don't want to get my hopes up." Fluff stopped whistling and tilted his head to her direction before he suddenly jump and began to fly away. At first, she thought that he was only playing but he kept flitting from one direction then back to her.

Then he threw her a look that would have exasperation and sang out his song. Elsa took the hint and followed the bird.

When Fluff started to fly closer and closer to the borders of the city, her stomach squirmed and she began to have second-thoughts about this excursion. She had never seen so many people for a long time. The hustle and bustle of humans with their travelling machines and the noise of honks and chatters rushed into her ears. Fluff took a dive down to a row of houses on the farthest part of the city. It was quiet and out of place compared to its neighbours but it had a homely feel to it that she appreciated.

Fluff flew lower, and lower until they were floating just inches above the ground. Elsa dodged everything that was in front of her even if it will go straight through and finally stopped her flight when Fluff glided through the trees. The bird perched on one of the branches while she hid on one of the larger trees that were situated on the next house.

Elsa gasped inaudibly when she saw Jack play in the snow with a young boy with brown hair. She had never seen him act that lively recently and the fact that a living person could see him astounded her. Fun and happiness radiated from the scene, and it let her see his world, the one he dwelled in while she was isolated in the dark. He was good with kids, at least from what she gathered as he threw around the snowballs and played with them without inhibition. The dog was staring at her with its large round eyes and whined at her direction but all that she was focused on was how much Jack was having fun with the child. It reminded her how lonely she really was before she met him.

"Ooh, fluffy birdie!"

A high pitched voice snapped her back to reality and saw a little blond girl wearing a pink jacket reach for Fluff. The bird tilted its head in a curious way as the toddler climbed the tree. Elsa's eyes widened and started to make her way to the girl but she hesitated. If she exposed herself, Jack will see her and think that she wanted to be noticed by the children as well but the battle in her head had let her miss the impending danger that crept on the girl.

As soon as the girl reaches up for Fluff, the branch she was standing on gave out and she fell.

_'Anna!'_ she cried in her mind, prompting a sleeping memory to wake when she was still a child herself and the scenario momentarily changed to the ice incident. Elsa was ready to use her powers to save the falling child only to hear _his_ voice cry out "Sunshine!"

Did she hear it correctly?

She fled from the scene along with Fluff after Jack caught the girl in his arms. Confusion, irritation and unexplained warmth ran through her as she escaped back to the wilderness. A pack of wild deer automatically jumped out of the way when she landed right by the clearing.

_'There was no mistaking it'_ she thought.

Jack just shouted out her name- or nickname for that matter. But why? A smile slowly crept its way to her face; he did that because they were friends and it gave her a warm and happy feeling. But a voice in the back of her head whispered,

_'But friends don't just blurt out their other friend's name in a dangerous situation.'  
><em>  
>Her steps halted and she froze when it hit her. No way... she took a deep breath and began to examine what transpired rationally. It would be wrong of her to think that Jack might have feelings for her because first of all; <em>they're friends<em>. Secondly, she and the little one had the same hair colour even if hers was considerably lighter so he must have mistook her for Elsa and thirdly... he just can't! This was not part of the plan; no- absolutely not! No issues of someone liking somebody and that said somebody like that someone back as well, that will be way out of line!

_'No. Maybe I'm just overreacting'_ Elsa persuaded herself as she leaned against a tree, a scowl marred her features. _'Must've been a heat of the moment thing. I'm jumping to conclusions, silly me'_ Indeed, the notion was so impossible that it was certainly good for a laugh, no doubt Jack would have a field day if he ever found out about this. "Oh this just foolish" she chided to no one in particular, "I'm creating such a fuss over nothing"

Sweet notes filled the clearing. She watched Fluff glided above the ground a few inches over before he settled to her shoulder. The queen sighed and frowned deeper when she felt a dull ache in her chest. It's been doing that recently and it worried her; what was happening?

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

Golden miniscule sands aligned themselves into ropes of dreams that connected from Sandman's dreamcloud to every children's subconscious minds. The petite man monitored each dream with precision and alertness while carefully sifted beautiful dreams from dark nightmares. Even when Pitch wasn't around, a random nightmare would appear and give the child a bad night.

He was currently drifting along Norway, though he was supposed to be in South America but Tooth had begged him to change shifts with her since her fairies were having a bit of a pickle with different instructions that came from the flustered head fairy herself ever since the little girl was taken under her watch. Shame and discouragement had fallen to Tooth and while North and Sandy sympathized, Bunnymund and Jack were itching to get their hands on the culprit.

Sandman continued to shape animals and happy thoughts into his sand and let it flow into their mind stream. Dreams were precious things that should never be trifled with and though each Guardian regarded their center as special, they were all connected to each other.

He sat on the edge of his dreamcloud and watched the scene below. Hundreds upon hundreds of his dreamsands entered through the windows and walls, each draping a child with their dreams of delight, wonder and hope. There was a movement that he caught in the corner of his eye and his dreamcloud shape shifted into a small plane. He adjusted his goggles and flew down to a dark alleyway. All he could make out was a human-shaped outline that ran through the shadows.

His plane changed into a pony and galloped along the alley. The pathways were confusing with numerous twists and turns that it was easy to get lost in and the shadow grew smaller and smaller. When they reached the end of the alley, sound of a sweet melody was heard and a portal opened.

Sandman gasped silently and jumped out of his horse with a whip on each hand. The kidnapper! Sandy couldn't believe that the culprit had made a move right under his nose, what luck! And if he can't take out the guy by himself, at least he will have some information for the other Guardians.

But the battle that he waited for never happened. The portal closed without any incident; as if to show off the culprit's capabilities. A gust of wind that howled terribly almost blew him off the ground and then... there was silence.

Sandman snapped his hands in anger and looked around the place for some clues. There was something shining on the ground near the place the portal appeared to. He bent down and examined it with a question mark hang above his head. With what little light the moon can provide, he lifted up the glistening item and watched an ice crystal shine different colours of light.

Inside the crystal was a snowflake that had a tiny snowflake in it that was shaped like a flower.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-',-<em>**

"That's good!"

Jack praised as he watched Sunshine minimalized the ice shards. He tilted his head as he sat on the branch next to Fluff; it was nice to see her confident in contrast to her earlier stumbles.

"Okay," he said as he jumped down from the tree right in front of her, "Let's use it in a different situation"

She'd been anticipating this moment because for the first time he lifted his staff, she didn't freak out. Jack smirked as he tapped the ground gently with the end of his staff, each frost curled around her but she didn't move a muscle. If this was the old Sunshine, she would have sent him flying to a tree and spear him with an icicle on the middle.

So he used a different tactic; he circled around her, his smirk never left his face as his staff swiped the ground. Sunshine followed his movements, her arms were bent in a defensive posture, the dark ice was yet to make an appearance it was a good sign. It was like she had progressed overnight. Or five days since he left her. Guilt reared its ugly head again and Jack wanted nothing more than to stomp it back to the ground and place boulder on it so it can never rise again.

He was thrown back from his thoughts when he slipped from a lump of ice that came out of nowhere and fell face first to the ground. Jack wiped the dirt from his face and threw a nasty look at Sunshine who just gave him a smug smirk of her own.

"Oh you better get ready 'coz I'm really not gonna hold back this time!" he threatened.

She didn't say anything but held up her hands and icy winds blew behind her and swirled into a snow vortex. Words were not needed because he could clearly read it on her face as clear as day.  
><em><br>"Bring it on"_

He pushed himself from the heel of his left foot and summoned a strong gale to thwart the direction of her vortex. It threw off her accuracy for a bit but she managed to clip his shoulder with a small needle. When he realized that the vortex was riddled with sharp ice nettles, he ran to the left and shot a blue jolt towards her. As she summoned a large wall to protect her, he flew above to catch her off-guard as always and raised his staff to freeze her feet in the ground; but what he didn't count on was a stomp of her foot and he was encased into vine-like sculptures and held him in place.

Smoothly, Sunshine turned around with a mocking expression on her face and placed a hand under her chin, "It seems the student has surpassed the master."

"Wanna bet?" he asked. Soaking in the moment her grin faltered as his frost enveloped her vines and froze it until it crumbled from the extreme cold. Sunshine huffed under her breath and positioned herself in a defensive posture as Jack steadied his staff across his chest. He had wanted to try this little move for a while but couldn't find the right time and now, it presented itself to him. He placed his hand from the neck to the end of his staff and concentrated on the tip. The space between the hook of his staff had shone in an electric blue light that frizzled the air between them in a series of crackles and the winds picked up and the sky rumbled.

Sunshine's eyes locked on the heavens and the clouds rolled around them like they were caught in the eye of the storm. Snow and wind mingled as lightning flashed but he kept his concentration to his staff. He could feel every bit of his power flow from his body to his weapon, all coming together for one big show. He knew he could control the winter elements but he didn't know that he can control the storm as well. If there was another upside for being a spirit, controlling the weather was a big plus in his book. He opened his eyes to take a peek at Sunshine but he immediately regretted his actions. She just stood there, rooted to the spot with her ice bursting around her like firecrackers. Jack called the storm back by frantically gesturing his hands like he was wiping a wall clean and within seconds; the sun was shining through the clouds again.

"Sunshine?"

He cautiously called out to her as he stepped closer. One wrong move and she'll surely revert back to the old Sunshine… again. She still didn't move from her spot and it worried him; was she in shock? Oh God, did he break her or something?

Various possibilities comes tumbling down his head that he missed the twitch in her hands and he found himself being pulled underneath the snow he was stepping on and thick chains of ice locked him to place. He grunted as he pulled hard to free himself but it was no use, the chains were thick and solid that even his frost was useless. She acted scared just so he would stop and use it as a distraction so she could one up him. Interesting, she could be deviant if she wanted to be.

With a bruised ego and unwilling surrender, he groaned out, "How did you do that?'

In a startling instant, she lowered her lips right next to his ear and said- or rather, _purred_ to him, "Trade secret"

Jack was a million percent sure that the shiver in his spine wasn't caused by the ice and snow.

_**-',-**_

_**End of Chapter Ten**_

* * *

><p>Author's Corner:<p>

Oh my goodness you guys, I really didn't know how much you all liked this story! I mean, you told me that it was good but I never imagined for you guys to back this story up! Three cheers for the most reviewed chapter of the story so far! Really, all your reviews have motivated me to stop being a baby and continue on and stronger than ever! I would like to thank the following people who had reviewed the last chapter:

peco-desu: Yes, a lot had been saying that this wasn't a love at first sight fic which was a compliment considering I don't like stories like that. And thanks for the support, I'll carry on with better writing style and hopefully you'll stay with us til the end :)

maggi. lefay: Es un poco como lo suyo. Y sean pacientes, todos esos personajes harán su aparición en los próximos capítulos.

Dark Dark n Sunny: Oh hahaha, really? Well that's good because I thought I drifted their character off a bit here. And woah, 9 chapters in one go? I hope it was worth it for you :) Hope to hear from you soon!

StormyRebel: Really? Really really really? Oh my thank you for that! I know it's not that great but to have someone like you appreciate it that much really brightened up my day!

Static1218: Actually it took me a while to get the reference but I finally got it hahaha!

CarishTale: Hmmm, somewhat half-Filipina I think since it's in my mother's side and my dad's side was a mix of Canadian, Greek and Irish. Mom's half-Chinese and Half-Filipino, and I can only understand a few Filipino words. I can only roughly translate a few of them especially the question of "Ano ang lahi mo?" And all I can literlly understand in that sentence was, "What's your breed?" I almost answered 'Siberian Husky' though xD

Now for your questions!

a. ROTG didn't really state that Jack Frost was the personification of winter itself but rather a representation of the season because of his powers. I can explain more but it will be a spoiler since it would all be explained in the future chapters.

b. The heart that was frozen wasn't literally the functioning organ but more on the metaphorical state. The 'heart' was the center for all emotions and feelings that was processed in and Elsa picked out love as the representation of heart. And when the heart beats fast… well I'm sure you'll find out what will happen.

NightmareHeartx: Oh don't fret, you reviewed and that's what counts. Especially that you liked the pace so far and their interactions as well. Hahaha, nah I don't want Pitch to be a creeper, it's not really his style… or was it?

StarMaster7: I'm proud to have this because it connected me to people who loved to read like you guys :,) No joke, you guys are the inspiration for this and I would love nothing more than to type out my story and entertain you all!

Maict: Indeed, I like to drabble on the many sides of the characters because I felt that they were a bit one-sided on the film so I just did what I could and thankfully you guys liked it :)

The Queen of Valencia Torgue: Yeah, it scared me to think that if I had taken this down, not only will I be kicking myself but lots of others out there will be out for my blood xD

Otakugirl 13: I'm so sorry I made you miss your class! Your question will be answered in the future chapters and congrats my 100th follower! Let's hope for a 100 more xD

Amaranth1412: I just love the way you analyzed my story :) I've been pouring my thoughts on how to push them together without seemingly too forceful. And I'm not convinced that Jack was a guy who's goofy all the time. And for the flame: I just took it as a sign that at least it got noticed hahaha. My friend joked that 'once you earned yourself a hater, it meant that you're doing the job right'. But we all know that's not really a good advice xD So, thank you for the comments and opinion to the characterization and I hope this story will continue to entertain you.

DeniseAgron: My dear reviewer! Hahah yeah it was like finding out a dirty secret :D And the way you commented about Jack calming Elsa's storm made me think that he's a tranquilizer or something xD

SnowQueen: Well I'm glad that you can find something to write about. And if you have a story, I wouldn't hesitate to read it :)

And thanks to:  
><span>Guest (anon)<span> and jinouga23 for reviewing as well!

Whew, over 90 reviews and 100 follows awwww, you guys just made me cry! I hope you all weren't a bit miffed with the slow updates 'cause the power's always on and off here due to heavy snow storms and I'm on my way to school now so, read and review please and let's keep this story strong!


	11. Lies and Truths

_**Finne Min Senter**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>_

_**Lies and Truths**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

A demon had possessed her.

That was the only explanation acceptable for her ridiculous behaviour. Elsa never thought she would see the day that she would act so frivolous in front of a male. And to Jack of all people! Embarrassment and shame came in large amounts as Jack's eyes nearly bugged out of its sockets. Worst of all, he might think that she was serious and may start a, dare she say it, _game of seduction_.

So far, he said nothing and struggled to get out of her ice's vice-like hold over him. Elsa pulled her hands back and the ice retreated as well. Jack flexed his limbs to regain its normal function, all the while stealing glances at her. Really, if he wanted to be sneaky he should at least be subtle. Openly staring at her while twisting his wrists was not a good way to be secretive about it. Then again, he was never one to hesitate to voice out what he was thinking.

After what must have the longest and most awkward minutes of her existence, Elsa managed to lift her eyes from a random spot of her skirt and steeled herself to look at him in the face. She had expected him to rub it in her face or even make a move on her but his attitude took a complete 180 degree turn. He was rubbing the back of his neck and in a completely bizarre twist, he looked so... shy. He _can't_ be shy; he's the antithesis of the word!

He cleared throat and raked his hand through his hair, "Well um... that's too bad..." he said.

"Too bad about what?"

"You said it's _'trade secret'_" he reminded her, gesturing air quotes as he did so. Heat covered her entire face and she wanted nothing more than to hide herself in shame.

"Right" she nodded, "So, what do you think? Did I progress even by a tiny margin?" Both of them were visibly relieved to curb the conversation away from that moment of insanity.

"Well you've managed to keep yourself from killing me so that's a huge improvement-" He grinned innocently when she sent a mock offended glare at him, "-so I think you're off to a great start. And you can really pack a punch" he complimented.

"Thank you, though I never had any skills in combat" she confessed, "I guess it reacts to my survival intuition rather than thinking about it"

Jack just shrugged and rested his staff against his shoulder, "Then combat training it is!" She frowned as he announced it. For someone preferring to run rather than fight, training for combat was not exactly on the top of her priorities. Besides, it wasn't a great idea to use her powers as weapons, they were already dangerous as it is so she held up her hands and said, "It will probably be best if we rest for today."

Jack sat cross-legged on a boulder; his staff laid by his side as Elsa randomly twirled her fingers to the ground, tracing swirls and shapes on the surface of the snow. She had never experienced such boredom and she needed something to distract her, even if it meant talking to Jack about random things. She sighed and placed a hand on her temples; her migraine had yet to return but her chest pains throbbed faintly in moments that were unusual, like when Jack leaned in too close to her face or when he paid her a compliment. All mere coincidence, she dismissed.

"Sunshine" he started. She was right, he'd never felt comfortable in a silent environment. He was like the wind; playful, restless and free; he also made her uncomfortable through his antics.

At first, he irritated her but now; she like- _tolerated_ him altogether. He was special to her, she hadn't noticed it yet but she had branded him as hers, not as a possession but more of a connection-like mark. She pressed harder against her temple, when did this happen? She had never depended on someone else before but now she needed him within her sights to assure her that everything's going to be alright.

It was frightening to grow attached to someone in such a deep level that even Anna hadn't breached. For centuries, all she had for company was her shadow and ironically the _Mann I Mørket_ himself, and now that she met a new being, she let her guard down and now, she was stuck with him and strangely, it didn't bother her that much. Except for the discomforts she'd experience every now and then.

She sighed deeply and lifted her sights to the heavens to search for the moon only to find two liquid sky coloured eyes staring back at her. A choked yelped escaped her and stumbled to the ground while Jack backed up and jumped down to help her.

"You're getting klutzy" he observed, offering a hand which she gratefully accepted. Elsa chose to give dignified silence as an answer and waited for him to let go of her hand but he held his gaze on her. The worry and concern in his eyes was not something she could've imagined. The intensity of his gaze, they way he looked at her was...

Was like the way Kristoff looked at Anna.  
><em><br>'Oh no'_ were the only words she thought of that moment.

* * *

><p>Jack frowned, unaware that he was still holding her hand but the same time he was conscious with its dainty size and the softness underneath the glove. Her face paled and her eyes widened with sudden realization, concerning with what was a mystery to him and he came crashing back to reality when he felt a tug from her captured limb. He realized that he spaced out just by looking straight in her eyes, which freaked him out. This kind of thing never happens in real life; the whole 'staring deep into each other's eyes' was only effective if you're in a staring contest, not because you think the girl in front of you was pretty or something.<p>

He let go of her hand quickly as if he was burned and mumbled a quick apology. She played with ends of her braids and avoided his stare, doing her best to ignore him once again. Things were getting more and more difficult with Sunshine.

If the topic was about games or tricks or even kicking Pitch's ass then he's all on board but talking about feelings and girls and potential love interests. _Yuck_, he'd rather swim in a shark-infested pool buck naked except for a slab of steak he'll wear as a necklace.

But just seeing that fair freckled-faced and platinum blond haired young woman in front of him; it gave his stomach a bad case of what some people call, 'the butterflies'. He would smile more just to see if he can get one back and recently she did reciprocate it, more often than not.

He was forever seventeen and he'd never been in a relationship before; not that he knows of, but this kind of feeling can only mean one thing...

He liked her. And not just as a friend or the _'school playground crush where girls would run away from boys because of cooties_' kind. It was the feeling that you wanted to take care of someone that was special, precious, even.

If Jack was asked to construct a scale on how much he cared for her, she would be right up there with Jamie. And she did care for him as well, doesn't she? She did express relief when he visited her again and the thing with her mouth next to his ear? It was like she was flirting with him.

_'Crap, now I'm getting awkward'_ he suddenly realized that he had been standing in front of her within minutes now and she stared at him as if contemplating whether to snap him out of it or leave him be.

"Should I go-" she started to say when Jack cut her off,

"No wait!"

He mentally slapped himself when she blinked owlishly at his shout and he gave a nervous chuckle, "Uh *_ahem_* what I meant was, you don't have somewhere to go to right now so maybe we can, I dunno, hang out a bit longer?"

Sunshine's face scrunched into a conflicted expression. And his smile dropped, he came out a bit too strong he supposed. He just figured out that he might, sorta, kinda, maybe, somewhat have feelings for her in a romantic light and he just asked her out on a 'date' or at least that's what people called it these days.

Finally, she folded her hands in front of her lap and nodded, "Alright"

He felt like he was believed by millions of children in one moment and saved the world at the same time.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

In the North Pole where Santa Claus' workshop was hidden away, the Guardians of Dreams and Wonder leaned over the crystal that was placed on a silver plate. North ordered an elf to retrieve a magnifying glass while Sandman placed a pair of glasses over his eyes.

"Interesting" North commented as he studied the crystal under the magnifying glass, "It's like snow but doesn't melt. Can't be Jack's because his ice patterns aren't like this. Sandy, are sure you saw no one?"

Sandman rolled his eyes exasperatedly and a picture of thumbs up popped out and a portal replaced it. North rubbed his beard and held up the crystal to his old friend, "Manny is what we're looking for?"

The Man in the Moon, though he spoke the human tongue, didn't voice out his answer but the moonlight reflected on the ground and the hollowed floor opened to reveal the podium. With a pale blue light, he showed a mountain that was filled with snow and above it was the exact replica of the snowflake.

"I know where that is!" an excited voice squeaked behind North, causing the intimidating man to jump several feet from the ground an elicited a throaty laugh from the other new arrival.

"Tooth! Never, _ever_, sneak up behind me!" North tutted; blocking out Bunnymund's jeers and Sandman's ill-concealed giggles that came out like tinkling bells. "What were you saying?" he grounded out.

Tooth flew to the podium and flew around it once, meticulously examining each detail and nodded to herself. "That's one of the mountains near the borders of Sweden and Norway. Three thousand kilometers away from the border line near Östersund, it's been a while since I went there."

"Are you sure?" Bunnymund asked skeptically, "There a lot of snow-capped mountains that looked the same-"

"I'm positive" she firmly responded, "I've travelled through every country and I know where everything is and I say it's in Sweden!"

Her uncharacteristic ferocity scared some of her fairies to hide behind North while the other Guardians just stared at her. Tooth took a deep breath and rubbed her arm in shame, "I'm so sorry you guys. I mean... I just can't get it out of my head! The little girl, of if only I should have been more attentive-"

"Don't worry _Sheila_," Bunnymund grunted, "We'll that little _ankle-biter_ back, along with the rest of 'em kids. But right now we have to keep our heads together and take this _whacker_ down once and for all."

Tooth beamed weakly as she took in the encouraging nods of her friends as well as her fairies' but there was one spirit who still hasn't made an appearance,

"Wait, where's Jack?"

Sandman conjured another question mark above him while Bunnymund rolled his eyes, "Off lollygagging I s'ppose. See? We're all here running our brain cells and doing our job while he's out there-"

"Doing his work as well" North interrupted, throwing Bunnymund a strict expression. "Jack knows how important this is and he'd been coming here to check everything and report what he knows. He needs us to believe in him Bunny. Give him a chance" he implored at the Guardian of Hope who crossed his arms in retaliation. But he began to soften when the others looked at him with round puppy-dog eyes.

Bunnymund gave out a large sigh and threw his hands up in defeat, "Fine! I'll give 'im a benefit of a doubt but don't say I didn't warn you! Ugh this was like the last time when he got picked as a Guardian."

"Ah but he rose to occasion!" North reminded.

The rabbit didn't say anything more as he studied the crystal, "What's this?"

"Sandy found it near a portal that maybe a way to take the children" North explained, "I asked Manny to show me where it came from"

"So, you're saying the kidnapper's in Sweden?" he asked.

"Most likely" North answered, touching the hilt of his swords with anxiousness. They needed Jack for this but since he was already in Sweden, they'll just send him a signal and explain what they found out when they're ready to head off.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

Back in Östersund, Jamie was walking around the petting zoo with a bag of animal feeds in his hand. Sophie was with his mom by moose pen while Erik joined his friends and gave them the slip. Aron was sitting on a bench with Felix by his side so Jamie joined him. The large man wasn't as scary as he appeared to be, a little on the quiet side but he seemed to be a good listener.

"Is there something bothering you?" he asked with a thick Swedish accent. At first, Jamie thought he can't speak in English but Cassidy explained that he was just nervous and teased her husband in a regular basis by translating their words into incorrect meanings.

"Not really" Jamie replied, still feeling a bit awkward towards the man. He needed some advice and since Jack was MIA and he was the main topic of the pending conversation, Jamie thought that maybe Aron can give good advice too; he's a dad after all.

"Hey, Mr. Aron-"

"Just 'Aron'"

"Alright um, you see, I have this friend who's a bit... different. See, we've been friends for over a year and I thought I know everything about him but these days... it's like I don't know him anymore" he explained. Aron listened intently, asking him to repeat a few words before he spoke up,

"I think you just have to give him time"

The boy looked at him and with furrowed eyebrows and utmost confusion, "What d'ya mean?"

Aron fumbled a bit as he tried to find the right words, "You have to give him-" he gestured at his two hands and pushed them away from each other, "Area to breathe. He is a friend, yes, but that doesn't mean he had to spill his internal organs on you."

His answer horrified the boy before he figured out what the man was trying to say, "You mean _'spill his guts'_?"

"That's what I said" he gruffly said.

"We used to tell everything to each other and now he's acting all mysterious and stuff."

Aron scratched his head and slowly responded "He has right to have secrets. Maybe he's having a hard time and he can't share it yet."

Jamie nodded and twiddled his thumbs; Aron's right. He can't act like a spoiled brat just because Jack didn't tell him a few things. Plus he did say it was dangerous so he was purely thinking about his welfare. So he asked the man his final question,

"What do you think I should do?"

Aron stared long to nothingness before he placed a large hand on Jamie's shoulder and said, "Support him in any way you can. That's all you can do."

Jamie accepted the man's advice and stood up. He's right, if he can't force Jack to tell him what was happening, but he can help him. The only question was; what was that big thing that had the Guardians on the edge. So it's gotta be something that has to do with the kids. He started to wander from the bench when Aron called out, "Take Felix"

"I won't get lost" he assured but Aron insisted as he placed Felix's leash on Jamie's hand, "Just to be safe. It's all over the news; children had been disappearing in different countries."

The news almost caused Jamie to trip on the leash. "That's it!" he yelled, alerting Aron and several passerby's. He just grinned, determination shone in his eyes, "I'll just look at something, see you later Aron!"

Okay first thing's first, he had to know when it all started and how many kids were taken so far. He tried looking at the newsstands but all of them were in Swedish and the only ones with English translations were the comic strips. Jamie kept his eyes open to anything that might be relevant to the 'case'.

No way a human can do this because if it was, the Guardians wouldn't have intervened, it's gotta Pitch but Jack hadn't said anything about Pitch for a long time so he ruled it out. Maybe it was another spirit- the thought struck him to a halt and ran to the nearest library. He tied Felix to the lamp post outside the building and went it.

It was hard to ask the librarian for a book that was translated in English and he landed to the 'Translated Books' section.

He gulped at the sheer amount if books cramped into the shelves and began to look for a specific genre; Fairy Tales and Legendary Figures. He took out several thick-bound books and read every single story. His cellphone had been vibrating like crazy and knowing that his mom will lose her mind if he didn't reply on every single text, he placed it beside him to save the trouble.

Daylight was burning down and his hopes of looking for some sort of clue waned. With a defeated sigh, he stood up and stacked the books to return it to their respectful shelves. As he placed the last book back to its space, a book fell from the farthest side of the section and it opened. Jamie looked around to see if something knocked it over but he was all alone. With a shrug, he bent down to pick it up when he read the title written in large cursive letters, "The Snow Queen"

He was intrigued, he wasn't really a fan of Hans Christian Anderson but she could be the female equivalent of Jack. But in contrast of Jack's sunny and smiling image in his head, the picture of the blue woman wearing a crown and a staff in her hand was sinister. He looked at the time on his cellphone and decided that he can squeeze in one more story.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

As far as first dates could go, this was probably the most unromantic one yet. It was like they were literally hanging out. Talking about the weather was as romantic as a dead rabbit and Jack was desperate to find out whether she liked him or not. It was a matter of pride and if he could rub it on Bunny's face, that would be sweet! But then that whole 'No one should know that I'm here' will be a big headache.

He rested his hands on his staff and looked up, aware that Sunshine was staring a hole on his back. He needed to break the ice, quick. An idea played in his mind and he acted upon it. He tapped his staff twice on the ground; the snow was pushed out of the way and smooth ice was under their feet. Sunshine was downright lost at what he was trying to do; she wanted to ask him what he was doing but all she got was either a 'Shh!' or a 'You'll see" which no doubt irked her.

Finally, Jack lifted his staff up to his shoulder with a satisfied nod at his handiwork. His companion tilted her head at the scene before her. Boxes with numbers were drawn on the ice and she glanced at him expectantly.

"What, you've never seen a hopscotch court before?"

Her naive stare and silence answered his question so he pulled up the sleeves of his hoodie and placed his staff on the ground.

"Hopscotch's a game. First, you'll take a pebble and flip it into the box, then; you have to hop on each box in order and if you landed on a box on the right, you have to hop with your right foot, the same goes with the left. The one with the most jumps in the whole box wins.

Her eyes widened and gave an alarmed look like he asked her to do something offensive. "You mean I have to lift my skirt?"

Jack rolled his eyes as he continued to hop in the correct boxes, "Obviously otherwise you'll trip" He reached the final box and bowed. But she didn't move from her place, staring at the hems of her dress like they were gonna come to life and lift themselves. He straightened up and placed his hands on the side of his waist, "C'mon, are we gonna do it or not?"

* * *

><p>"You know" Elsa started, "I think ice skating would be better." As soon as it came out of her mouth, she wished for it to come back. The atmosphere was, begrudgingly, lovely. Perfect for ice skating and it will be romantic. And that was the last thing she'd want. She just followed him so that she could confront to him about this... abomination.<p>

Jack frowned and hopped along the court, "What's so bad about hopscotch? It's plenty of fun compared to ice skating. C'mon Sunshine, live a little!"

"That was the most inappropriate encouragement I've ever heard" she said in a deadpanned voice but she can't deny the grin on her lips when his face twisted in a confused expression, wondering what he'd said wrong.

Hopscotch does look fun but that would mean that she had to... show her legs and a lady should never do that! The slit on her dress was risqué for her lifestyle but it made walking easier for her and she never thought there would be anyone else to see it but to lift it up just for jumping? It was simply out the question! The drawn court looked small and she would have a hard time jumping with her ice shoes on. It would be reasonable to do this on bare feet but simply won't do. She can't even walk out of her bedroom without slippers at least in the past.

"I really think we should just skate" she firmly stated, her stubbornness steeled her resolve against Jack's irritated scowl, "Childish games are… demeaning enough for our 'age' are they not?" Jack ignored her comment and resumed his game, not even answering her rhetorical question. She felt her lower jaw slackened; he blatantly ignored her and even turned his back while she was talking. _'How rude!'_ she bellowed in her thoughts but deemed that he will just drain her mentally. So she jutted her chin up and walked to the other side to occupy herself. She literally felt his eyes bore on her back as she flattened the ice into a smooth surface and pushed herself across, away from him.

Every turn and simple twirls, she remembered the times she and Anna had spent playing in the snow, even when they were already adults they wouldn't hesitate to run out of the castle for an hour or so to build a snowman which Olaf had always took as an inside joke. A jerk in her chest cavity amplified which caused her to curl into a ball and clenched her hands into fists. She could barely register Jack's voice in her ears as she gritted her teeth down, it was a dull throb but it was stronger compared to the others.

"It's okay, I got you"

He may have the same powers as her but his hands were very warm as they draped her shoulders. Not just his hands, his whole body was warm but instead of bothering her, it was soothing. No one could blame her for leaning against him as she waited for the pain to ebb. Her back was against his chest as she placed her hands on her chest and steadied her breath. Elsa readied herself for the bombarded questions he would surely hurl at her, he will prod and poke and stick his nose into her business and she heard the first hum in his throat, she was prepared to lash out when he said-

"You know, I drowned in a frozen lake."

His words had hit her hard. To say something like that was too… personal. He didn't say why but continued to talk as if it wasn't that big of a deal. "I remembered that it was a day like this. We were playing in the forest and she walked down to the lake, I wasn't paying attention then. If I did, I would've seen that the ice was too thin. I heard her scream and the crack of the ice…" He took a deep breath, his hands were slightly shaking on her shoulders and without thinking; she covered his left hand with hers and leaned against him. He adjusted his legs on her sides, waiting for her to run but she didn't. She had never seen him in this light; he was sharing her things that should never be shared.

'_Why?'_ she wanted to ask.

But the words that came out of her mouth were purely made from curiosity, "The girl… was she special?" When he stiffened when she asked that, she'd thought as much but before she could comment on it, he clarified his answer,

"Yeah, she's my sister."

Elsa froze in his arms. Her hand that held his own gripped tighter but he didn't notice or maybe he didn't care since he squeezed her shoulders gently. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and closed her eyes. A sister, he had a sister like she did. So she must be indeed special, but there was a foreboding feeling where the story was headed and Jack carried on,

"She was calling for me because she'd slipped on the ice. It was the first time she skated but she didn't wait for me to help her. That's when the surface began to split. She started to panic, I mean who wouldn't right?" he let out a breathless chuckle and continued though she wished he didn't. To hear him talk about something so painful, she felt the agony as well. "I tried to distract her because the ice was already breaking under her."

"What did you distract her with?" she asked quietly,

"I told her to pretend that we're playing hopscotch" he simply answered, "I jumped closer and when she's near enough, I pulled her with my staff and…" he fell silent. The scene played in Elsa's mind; she was frightened for his sake. Surely his sister…?

"I saved her" he assured her after a moment of silence between them. "Managed to push her to the edge of the lake before… well, y'know what they say, the rest is history." He was back to his usual self, lighter tone of voice and she was sure that was smiling despite the somber topic. She couldn't imagine how someone discuss so lightly about death and here he was, telling it like it was some sort of weather forecast. The way he saw the brighter side of things was highly unusual and unpractical, it was so unlike anyone else she'd met before. That was a likeness he shared with her sister.

Gently, she pushed herself away from him and turned to look straight to his eyes, "Jack, I know it's a personal matter but don't obligate me to do the same" Cold as it was, she was protecting him from the darkness that plagued her past. There were many things that she had done that were unforgivable even by Jack's standards and she couldn't bear for him to hate her. She was selfish, but it was for his own good.

The Guardian shook his head and played with his staff; his long fingers traced every curve of the wood before he focused his attention to her, "I didn't tell you my previous life so that you'll tell me yours. It just felt… right" Her eyebrows knitted in bewilderment, her mouth felt dry and snow slowly fell from the sky. He said because it felt right; does he mean it was appropriate to tell someone that? Had their friendship been fostered enough for them to confide with each other? A faint light in his eyes caused her to remember her objective but she didn't know to say it.

"We're… we're friends, aren't we?" she carefully said, searching for a way to convey her thoughts to him without being awful at the same time.

A childish grin appeared and he nodded, "Yep, how many times do I have to say it?" He was being genial about the whole thing that Elsa was having second thoughts on how he felt towards her. If she based it on his character, he was too… innocent. He was like an overgrown child whose thoughts were too engrossed with games and having fun rather than love and all that nonsense. To say that she was relieved was an understatement; she wanted to laugh out in front of him and take a deep exhale. She was about to ruin her friendship with him because of a hunch that had no evidence other than the look that was similar to Kristoff's.

"Just making sure" she managed to say as she fought the urge to smile like she had never smiled before. "But why did you think that it was right?"

Jack rubbed the back of his head and lowered his gaze to the ground close to his feet, "We have to know something about each other after all. I mean, I don't usually tell that to everyone I meet. Just you and someone else."

"Why me?" she inquired, sincerely curious with his response and who the other one was.

"You're important to me" he said brazenly, lifting his eyes to hold hers. His bluntness and the candour of his words had her stand there motionless, unable to process any words he had just said, it resonated in her ear for a couple of times before she realized that he was saying something after that.

* * *

><p>"Friends are important Sunshine, c'mon; don't tell me you've never had at least one friend in your previous life" he chuckled but the smile wavered when she rubbed her forearm and evaded his eyes. He repeated his words mentally before he gave a soft "Oh" For some reason; Sunshine hated talking about her past. In fact, she would immediately shut down any conversation that will lead to that topic. Something must've happened that prevented her from talking about, He wasn't keen on telling his life story to others too but he felt that he could at least give a part of himself to her. He won't lie; the way she reacted when he voiced out that she was important to him had crushed him a bit.<p>

He needed to lighten the atmosphere, quick. The apprehension in the air choked him and she will shut him out again. Getting her to open up was hard enough, a trial he wouldn't be eager to experience again. He was taking a leap into something he wasn't familiar with, into the unknown. But Jack Frost was not one to back out of a challenge and if Sunshine won't meet him halfway, then he'll just have to do all the work himself.

It was not feed his ego or just because of getting the sake to call someone his girlfriend. He truly cared about her, and from what he had observed, it's definitely not one-sided as it appeared to be. He lifted his right hand and conjured up a small snowflake that languidly flowed to her direction. She extended her hands out to catch it and cupped it near her face.

"You're not alone anymore. I'll never leave you, got that?" he pointed out. She lifted her face and smiled that smile that he saw at the sweets shop but only this time did he truly see the radiance of her face. She looked more beautiful when she grinned as opposed to her blank stares. He caught himself grinning dumbly like a moron and straightened himself. Looking like a lovesick teenager in front of the girl he likes wasn't his style. He looked up and saw the sun was already dipping behind the mountains and Jamie was probably waiting for him in the Swedish family's house (calling it 'his mom's friend's house' was a mouthful.) He stretched his arms upwards and collected his staff, "Well duty calls. See ya Sunshine!"

Sunshine suddenly sprinted to him with a determined light in her eyes, "You'll come back, right?"

"Sure, I guess" he prompted, trying to play it cool but when he saw the hesitation in her face, he immediately added, "'Course I will. Just hang tight and I'll be back before you know it. Okay?"

"Alright. And Jack…"

"Hm?"

"You remember your promise"

He snickered as he began to float off the ground, "Yeah yeah. 'No one should ever know about me' stuff, don't worry, my lips are sealed. Kinda makes you my own secret then" he joked.

A dust of pink invaded her cheeks but she just huffed and crossed her arms, trying to look defiant but he already saw through that façade. Without any reason why, he leaned in to her face and pressed his chapped lips lightly on the tip of her nose. Her reaction was instantaneous; her pale face was covered with a deep red blush that extended to her neck and her eyes widened.

"Wha-"

He gave her a mock salute and rode the wind before she could recover and punish him for his actions. No doubt that he'll taste her fury once they see each other again but then again, it wouldn't be really Sunshine if she didn't try and kick his butt.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

Elsa strolled to her cave with Fluff following her, Jack's words haunted her minds and the kiss- No, she better stop that. And she did trust him wholeheartedly that he won't ever let their secret slip to anyone. He _promised_.

A secret.

He was her secret as she was to Jack. All those events that occurred crammed in her and threatened to override her brain so she took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down. It was better than screaming her head off in the cave and throw her things to the ground like a drama queen. She placed her pointer fingers on her temple and rubbed it clockwise. It was her own massage therapy and it was effective for her to get her off her 'funk' as Jack would say. How he can keep up with modern day language and slangs was beyond her. She could barely even understand what other people were saying where as he could just babble on and on while using those strange words.

But then again, she had avoided others for centuries while he hovered over the crowds of children so maybe it was no wonder why he was so in touch with the modern world.

Fluff sang quietly and nestled on the sculpted model of Jack. She nearly perfected it but she couldn't start with the eyes. She did his nose and chin just fine. The bridge of his nose was straight and narrow and it ended with a round button shape. His jaw was strong and angular that she wondered how he could have looked if he had fully matured into a man. A rush of heat came to her cheeks when she thought of that. She then started on his eyebrows, masculine and thick, easy to replicate. But the moment she started with his eyes, she stopped. Fluff stopped singing and instead flapped his wings and flew off as if there was danger abound.

Her chest tightened and a prickle of pain like someone drove a needle into her heart which forced her to curl on her knees and her hands began to heat up like it was on fire.

And as fast as it came, it was gone.

Her traitorous mind called forth the image of his clear crystal blue eyes staring straight at her, glowing with concern and good natured mischief. The way she described him made her scoff in disgust for this was so unlike her. This kind of fondness was disturbing, unrealistic, illogical and unnatural. And yet...

'_You're important to me'_

_That kiss on the tip of her nose._

Elsa yelped when the pain returned in tenfold. She gritted her teeth and her nails scratched the ground to replace the immense stinging in her chest, it felt like someone had speared her squarely at the place where her heart was supposed to be. Without warning, she felt as if someone kicked her directly on the stomach and her mouth opened to cough out frost. On the ground; she lay there and convulsed with throes that rooted themselves into her chest.

Elsa whimpered and looked at the sculpture she had made then placed a hand to her heart. It was her curse's reaction. Her frozen heart had moved within its icy prison and her body suffered. She bit the flesh between her thumb and wrist and began to convince herself that he was only a friend and nothing more. She forced, hell she even ordered herself to destroy the images of Jack in her mind.

Out of nowhere, a disembodied laugh was heard. She quickly stood up and leaned on the table for support as she looked around the cave with frantic eyes,

"Show yourself!"

There was no one there.

She tore open the walls and the light came flooding in. It ate all the dark corners and the shadows disappeared. There was no Pitch Black to taunt her or to find out her secret. All except the covered mirror. Elsa stared at the mirror; paranoiac thoughts invaded her mind and pushed her to her limits. That mirror had been bothering her ever since that day she let her negative emotions flow freely and Pitch had expressed some interest in it which made it almost unbearable to look at.

With newfound resolve and thoughts screaming down to grit her nerves, she marched straight for it and ripped the veil from the mirror.

It looked horrible.

The edges were sharp and the patterns had altered themselves. It was an evil-looking thing that it was a completely different mirror from what she'd made with her own hands. Elsa felt her whole body shake; whether it was from anger, fear or anticipation, or the combination of all three but she threw her clenched fist over the opposite wall and the whole thing gave out.

The harsh wind entered the cave, helping her breathe in the thin mountain air and helped her steel her resolve and pushed her forward. She grabbed the mirror on each side, ignoring the spikes dig through her hands and the steady heat that poured from the glass. "This is the last time I will ever see you" she vowed as she reached the edge of the cave. In one heave and slackened grip; the mirror flew from Elsa's slender glove-covered hands to a thousand foot drop from the cave. Elsa just stood there, unaware that her cave was virtually wrecked, staring at the fog that covered the mountain.

Things can't get any worst.

_**-',-**_

_**End of Chapter Eleven**_

* * *

><p>Whew, easily one of the longest chapters I've ever written. Sorry if the interchanging POV's annoy you but it's better if you could see what they were thinking at those times. I know it looked like it was rushed but mainly because I didn't want to drag the story longer than it should and someone found that chapters like the last one was a bit boring so I'll try to write it as fast as I can but keep the fun and healthy dose of romance (not fluff! I can't stand fluffs!) in between. Now, to thank the people who made this possible:<p>

StormyRebel: Sorry to hear that but it's more like a turning point for their relationship and a climatic point where the Big Four are getting clues. But anyways, thank you for your input, I always appreciated them :) And I kinda laughed at your comment on how I portray them; all I did was re-watch the two films, using my younger cousins as an excuse (naturally) and wrote them down. Then again, I never felt so attached to a fictional character so much, especially Elsa. So I hope you liked this, tata!

DeniseAgron: Hi hi! Hmmm, heartburn I think… JK! hahaha it will be explained as the story progresses and I estimated that it will have six or seven chapters to finish this story so please, stay with me friend!

Guest (Anon #2) Ahaah you've predicted it! And the Pied Piper thing happened because I read the story while creating the first draft of this story. I mean, if Easter Bunny and Tooth could exist, why not bedtime story characters right? Awww, I'm not that good since I'm just starting out but I'm really thankful for the appreciation and love for this story. Hear from you soon!

HopelessRomantic183: My 100th reviewer! Also the 98th and 99th. I'm so floored on how much you delved into the story. The characterization, the writing analysis, I think I was hyperventilating when I read your review/s. Truly, I'm so happy to have you as a reader, and a motivation to write even better!

jinouga23: Hahaha among other lines :) My family tree's like a huge tree plantation xD

StarMaster7: I did an extensive research on Jack and found out that he can control storms too so I said to myself, "Well, why the hell not?" And voila! He can now create storms! You wanted more Jelsa so I made Jelsa happen! Hope you liked it xD

Maict: You figured it out ;) Plus I liked her better when she was an outcast than when she was the queen of Arendelle, I dunno why tho.

anna-daru: My heart swelled with a fuzzy feeling when you labeled this as the best Jelsa fic you've read so far. I try to keep them in character as best as I could and thankfully it worked. And don't fret, I will never abandon this fic, neveeeeeeeer! hahaha xD

I would also like to thank: maggi. lefay, Guest (Anon #1), AXeIS, rokusan23, imafangirlforever and the-clumsy-one

Guys, the story reached a 100 reviews and it's a huge deal for me that I'm tearing up right now. Without you guys, this story would only be in my notebook that will never be shared with anyone else. To commemorate this special occasion, I'll post a one shot for you guys. Either AU or canon universe, you guys decide :) Don't worry the next chapter was already typed in so there will be no delays.

I would also like to thank the followers of this story and those who placed this in their favourites list.

That's it you guys, remember the routine: Read and Reviews please! And NO FLAMES! I'm open to PMs and chatting

PS: Can someone do a fanart for this fic? A simple portrait or a recreation of a scene is enough for me 'coz I wanna treasure this for the rest of my life xD


	12. All Good Things Must Come To an End

_**Finne Min Senter**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Twelve<br>All Good Things Must Come To an End**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

North's workshop bustled with a heavy atmosphere as every single being rushed to their respective positions. North tucked his swords within their sheath and secured them on his sides; Bunny tucked the rest of his explosive arsenal in his satchel and nodded to Tooth who just finished instructing her fairies.

Finally, the Guardian of Wonder stood in front of his comrades and looked up to nod at the moon, the light that radiated from it dimmed greatly and it concerned the spirit. Manny was all-powerful and wise, if his power had been cut off that dramatically, then things had turned for the worse. He walked to the globe and sighed heavily; each light glowed but they were weaker and some flickered like a flame of a candle.

North placed his red jacket on and turned to the dozens of blinking dials. He pressed a button with the label 'Emergency Only' above it. A radiant light that burst with different colours exploded into the sky, which sent an array of other lights that altered its hues on every fold. The others watched the Northern Lights descent upon the stratosphere and hoped that Jack will come as soon as he saw it. The was a churning heat in his belly that he couldn't ignore but the sheer intensity of the situation got him into thinking it might have been excitement or anxiety.

Louds hooves that stomped against the ground had announced the preparation for North's sleigh. Bunny was still reluctant about riding it but that wasn't a good time to be nit-picky. Sandy and Tooth waited by the globe and watched the first sign of their missing comrade; the ice crystal was left forgotten under the magnifying glass.

Dinner at Aron's house was lively as usual but Jamie was silent through the whole meal. His mom asked if he was sick but he just replied that he wasn't that hungry then excused himself from the table. He had never read a bedtime story that was as grim as this one. The titular character was usually the hero of the tale but the Snow Queen was dark and took the little boy from his home to live with her. It would be too much of a coincidence to read a fairy tale where the villain kidnaps kids and the same occurred that instance.

He swung his legs from the edge of the bed and waited for Jack to come; the sky was already dark and the wind fluttered through the open window. The first touch of frost on the glass announced his arrival and boy, do Jamie have news for him!

Jack landed in the room with the largest grin on his face. He jumped off the bed, his blood raced through his veins in a furious pace as excitement fueled his adrenaline. Jack must've noticed his hyped state because he quirked a brow and commented,

"Did you eat a pound of chocolate again?"

Jamie just beamed and urgently whispered, "I know what you've been doing for the last couple of days!"

Jack dropped his grin and his eyes narrowed; his grip on his staff tightened and the wind had stopped blowing into the house. The Bennet boy took it as a sign to continue so he walked to the desk and showed the book he borrowed from the library (where the librarian had thankfully spoke English and was good friends with Cassidy).

His best friend ignored the book and began to say, "Jamie, buddy, I know it's really unfair but the thing is-"

"Jack, I can help!" he interrupted; both didn't know what the other was talking about, "It's all over the news, kids are missing and you guys need to find the kidnapper right?"

His words must've hit Jack in the gut because the spirit recoiled and tilted his head to the side, "Wait, how exactly can you help us? Kid, this is something bigger than you, all of us actually and we still can't figure out who or what it is!" he explained but Jamie lifted the book right to his face and even slowly emphasized the words

"Snow Queen. It's the Snow Queen!"

He lowered the book from Jack's face but his gleeful smile was erased when he saw the paler than usual complexion of his friend. "Jack?" he tugged on his sleeve but he didn't react. Instead, he watched Jack's mouth move without a sound coming out and the movement of his throat suggested he took a big swallow.

"Where did you get the idea?" he quietly asked.

Jamie recounted what occurred earlier while Jack listened intently. It started to make Jamie nervous, he had never seen Jack this serious but he carried on.

"See? The Snow Queen kidnaps children and takes them to her kingdom to be with her forever!" he exclaimed.

"I don't think the Snow Queen exist Jamie. It's just a bedtime story. C'mon there's gotta be something else" Jack cajoled.

The way he turned down his theory didn't only hurt; it was like he was denying it. "But Jack" he pleaded, "You said that anything's possible and it's not by chance! At least talk about it with Santa Clause and the others, please!"

"It's a good idea Jamie" Jack breathed out, "But I don't think she's responsible for the attacks."

"But she's gotta be! It's all too close! You said that Guardians are legendary beings and legends were made from a true story so that means the Snow Queen can exist! I bet she wears a gown and controls ice too and the book says she's shrewd but cruel and spreads hate by the shards of a mirror! Jack, I think this is it!" Jamie chirped and took out a drawing and held it up for Jack to see. He traced the picture from the book and made a few adjustments; he couldn't draw the hair that well so he just drew it on one side and didn't add the crown.

"It can't be…"Jack stuttered

"It is! Jack, we'll catch and beat her up like what we did to Pitch. I mean, I don't hit girls but she's an evil person so we can just throw her in some sort of dungeon and-"

"Stop!" he snapped.

A rush of wind pushed the windows so hard that it the wooden frame slammed on the wall. Jamie's heart stopped for a second, the paper slipped from his hands without noticing and just stood there. Words escaped him; the emotion he felt was countering to the dangerous mix of fear, apprehension and confusion. It was almost a crime to be scared of Jack but his friend had never, ever, acted like this.

Jack heaved though his gritted teeth and frost covered the ground they were standing on. Seconds passed and Jack lifted a hand to him but he flinched. He didn't mean to, really but he reacted to Jack's anger that made him acknowledge who that spirit in front of him was. How volatile he could be if he didn't keep his rage in check. But he immediately wished that he hadn't done that because the wounded expression on Jack's face had hurt him more than his yell or the sudden burst of anger.

"I'm sorry- I didn't... I just- I'm so sorry" Jack stammered as he stumbled backwards and escaped through the window. Jamie regained his senses and ran after him but all he could see was the neighbour's house and the lights from the city just a couple of blocks away from them.

He clenched his hands and yelled out his name with hopes of returning. But he didn't.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

"Jack!"

Jamie's voice was lost with the howling wind that surrounded him. He flew across the city and into the forest. Away from his friend, away from everybody. He needed to think, damn it! A part of him wanted to get down to his knees and plead the boy to forgive his insensitive action but another part, the much larger one, wanted to flee from all the insanity that kept piling one after another. All of a sudden, a wave of bright colours had him search the skies for the source. His thoughts halted and his eyebrows knitted together in an irritated scowl.

'Great' he thought, 'Great freaking timing as always!' He gripped his staff so tightly that he wouldn't be surprised if it broke into two. He didn't leave the tree and ignored it for the time being. If this was another lecture and news about another dead end for the nth time, he might as well ignore it. Plus, he had more pressing matters at hand.

Jamie's findings had made him think of Sunshine. Though there weren't any signs that she was the embodiment of the fairy tale character, the title had suited her immensely. But when he imagined that Sunshine was involved in the kidnappings... No. It was impossible. In fact; it was crazy!

He knew her and she wasn't capable of doing something as horrendous as this. She was kind, Sunshine wasn't the type to kidnap children and cause world-wide panic all over the globe. For one thing; that would mean gaining attention and she hated being the center of it. No way. There was no way that she's the kidnapper. He will bring Sunshine to meet up with Jamie, even if it will end up with her hating him for that.

From the tree where he was perched on, Jack kicked the branch with his heel and sped off to the mountains. The lights still hadn't moved but they started to waver, it took him a while to realize that he had been ignoring the signal for almost a good two hours now. There was a buzz in the air, he could feel it in wind that whipped his hair and nipped at his feet. Guilt was heavy against his chest and his duty as a Guardian obligated him to be there, even if he didn't want to.

There was a voice at the back of his head saying that he should go to Sunshine and fast but he didn't want to risk his responsibility just because he had the need to see her. So with a final reluctant look he sent to the mountain, he flew towards the North Pole.

He expected to see his fellow Guardians huddle by the globe where Sandy and North would welcome him while Bunny would send him either a passing nod or a glare, depending on his mood, while Tooth would just fly absent-mindedly while talking to her fairies. Instead, he was greeted by a white yeti and Phil (of course) by the door. The others were gone.

"Wha- Where the hell are they?!" he shouted as he elbowed his way into the workshop. The elves ran amok and fled out of sight as soon as he stepped into their line of vision. He shouldn't have kept freezing them every time he paid a visit to North but it was funny to see them frozen with those stupid grins plastered on their faces. A large brown furred Yeti began to grunt and growl in its native tongue that caused Jack to lift his palms outwards and drawled, "Yeah yeah, I absolutely got nothing from that but nice try though."

He walked across the main room and he focused in the moon. He remembered that Sunshine had a fixation for the moon especially when he told her how he came to be a spirit.

He looked around and watched the Yetis and elves converse heatedly over something with their high-pitched squeaks and low growls. With a tentative rub on his nape, he steadied his gaze on the pearly white orb and whispered,

"Where are they? C'mon, tell me where I should go"

There was no verbal response, not like he expected to get one. But when he started to turn around and exit the workshop, a sliver of moonlight cut him off of his path and crept across the floor, up the foot of North's work table and stopped next to a brass handled magnifying glass.

Carefully, Jack lifted the magnifying glass and inspected it. There was nothing unusual with that particular item so he proceeded to chuck it away when a tiny sparkle by the corner of his eye made him stop. Jack lowered the glass back to the table and reached for the tiny blue crystal. It was a small, fragile thing and there was something inside it. As soon as he held up the crystal and realized what it was, his eyes widened and grabbed his staff that he placed by the stool.

The bickering elves and yetis ceased their yammering when the large gust of icy winds rushed from their backs as Jack yelled at them to get out of his way. The creatures looked at one another before they started to fight again, not one had noticed the shadow on the far side of the room, his sinister smile parted into a cruel curve.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

Elsa leaned against the wall, listening to the sounds the wind carried as it came and went to what was left of her home. After that emotional episode, she felt drained not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. Fluff hadn't returned that evening and it worried her. The cave was now empty save for the Jack statue and the snow that came out of nowhere, draping the floor with a thin sheet of white.

She pressed the palm of her right hand against her chest and closed her eyes. This wasn't fair; why did this have to happen when everything had just started to be better for her? Bitterness and resentment coloured her being when she opened her eyes and saw the moon glowing just in front of her crouched form.

If the moon had a spirit inhabiting it, then surely he could speak. Elsa's lips trembled and her hands itched to throw an ice spear, an arrow or even a snowball at it; not even caring that will never reach its destination. If only she had met Jack before all of this, back when she was alive, when she can still love another without being in pain.

A thump that came from the shadowed part of the cave caused her to jump. She lifted her hands up and fashioned a sharpened icicle in her hand. There was no one else in the cave except for her, but an oddly shaped object lay next to where her bed was. The wind began to pick up as she walked to the suspicious item. She picked up the object and held it up by the light to reveal its identity.

"A doll?" she asked to herself. Her fingers swept the black yarn that adorned its head and studied the plaything. Years had passed and she still had a soft spot for baubles such as this one. Nostalgia had absorbed her attention in such a large magnitude that she had missed the sound of voices that approached her domain.

Almost.

In one tense-filled moment, her ice exploded from the mouth of her cave, spraying the intruders with icy needles and blinding snow powder. Elsa threw a hand over to the direction of the statue to completely cover it before she wrapped herself into a blizzard and leapt out of the mountain.

Whiplash would've been a small sacrifice if it meant freedom from her pursuers but she saw something move by her side and when she looked over her shoulder to take a better look, her breath was snagged in her throat.

On her left was a large sleigh that was pulled by enormous flying reindeers. A large intimidating man held their reins and a sword in one hand. On her right was a humanoid bird-like creature with bright green plumage.

"No-"

A strand of gold blocked her vision; golden sands had mingled with her snow and her sights blurred out for a second before she threw her hands out and blew the sand away. But when she tried to search for the source, pain had clawed into the side of her thigh and before she knew it, she was falling to the foot of the mountain.

At first, she thought that she had fainted or merely dreamt the whole thing but when she opened her eyes, the pain was still fresh on the left side of her thigh and the cut indicated that it came from an upward angle. Elsa struggled to stand and run but four figures stood in front of her to block her escape.

The spirits who were familiar to her only through Jack's stories now glowered down at her. They were after her; for what, she didn't know nor care at that moment. They were the Guardians; protectors of children and the warriors of the Man in the Moon. And for them to find out about her could only mean one thing; Jack had betrayed her.

* * *

><p>Tooth stared at the young woman with a blank face. She had expected someone darker, meaner, more like Pitch but instead, they encountered a spirit that was beyond unusual than anything she had ever seen before with an affinity with snow and ice, just like Jack. Subtly, she gave a sideway glance at North. The bearded Guardian stridden through the deep snow and looked down at the snow woman who had cradled her head into her hands, her whole body shook like a leaf in the windy day.<p>

Was she guilty or frightened?

There was something about this spirit that struck out as odd. It was like, she had seen her somewhere, but where exactly? All spirits were someone else before they were chosen but this one looked too... human. She could've been easily be mistaken as one rather than a spirit but appearances can be deceiving after all, so she strengthened her resolve.

"You" North started, "What is your name?"

Silence met his question.

Bunnymund held up his boomerangs while Sandy took out his whip as a precaution. The girl refused to talk and time was running out; the urgency may have pushed North past his limit as he took out a sword and pointed it straight to her,

"I have asked you a question.** Who**. **Are**. **You**?"

The woman suddenly released her head from the confinements of her limbs and stood up. Everyone tightened their grip on their weapons when she lifted her head and simply said,

"I am the Snow Queen"

Cold winds began to pick up and a sense of forbidding had settled in the area. North narrowed his eyes at the woman who was visibly afraid but hid it with a brave front. He had to admire that kind of determination that reminded him of Jack but he was suspicious of her. And when they saw the doll that was in her hands, that sealed the deal. The pattern in the ice crystal was the exact replica of the ones they saw on the walls had backed up their suspicions entirely and now they must capture this woman. She was potent and smart. When they stepped on foot in the cave that she lived in by pure chance, ice popped out of nowhere and pelted them with needle-like ice that was still stuck in his thick robes. It was times like that that they needed Jack by their side but their fellow Guardian had failed to show up so they proceeded to catch the kidnapper without him.

He leered at the woman who may haven't realized that her whole body was shaking. North moved his hand to shift his stance when she immediately struck the ground between them and colossal spikes made out of ice erupted from the ground. Flashes and smoke came from the side; upon realizing that Bunny had taken matters into his own hands, North dashed around the wall and barely dodged a shard of ice that was flying right to him.

He deflected yet another one with the blade of his sword and he gave out a battle cry and lunged at her but he was casted to the side by a thick wall that came out of nowhere. The woman was kept busy by Bunny who had thrown his explosive eggs at every direction to confuse her aim but it was all for naught. Ice had burst in every inch and it was like the ice was alive as it crawled on everything it touched. A golden rope shot by his right side and North watched as Sandy's whip approached the woman with her back wide open for an attack. But instead of hitting her, it was met by a shield. The sand scattered to the air and returned to an agitated Sandman.

"Sandy, together!" North growled.

The tiny man nodded once and they both advanced through the mess of ice and flying eggs. North's scabbards neatly sliced the ice that sprang from the ground and tackled the place where Sandy's whip had targeted. The same wall of ice appeared but North had hefted Sandy in his arm and threw him in the air. Sandy balled up his dreamsand and pulled it into a long stretch and wrapped it in his hands.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

Elsa was already getting tired, fighting the large creature proved to be one of her toughest challenges yet. He was quick, whenever she tried to attack him; he'd dodge it with ease and hurl a curved metal at her. Her ice protected her in a cocoon-like shield not just from the large rabbit's attacks but also from the rear. Elsa held up both hands to conjure up a rain of icicles but two tight ropes bound her hands together and with a tug, she fell on her knees. Anger, fear and confusion whirled in her body as the four figures closed in.

The large humming bird hovered over her, hostility written on her face as clear as day and lowered herself to level with Elsa's face.

"Where are they?" she quietly spoke.

The question was lost in transition in Elsa's mind, she was far more concerned with the ropes in her hand and the instinct to flee was agonizing. Everything was spinning around her in a furious pace.

"**Release me**" she ordered, her frigid tone further unimpressed the current company. The bird-like creature pursed her lips, clenching and unclenching her fists simultaneously like she was debating whether or not to hit her was a good move.

_'Let her'_ a dark voice whispered in her, _'Let her try, and show them who you truly are.'  
><em>  
>"Where are the bloody kids?"<p>

She shifted her sights to the overgrown rabbit. This... charming creature was surely the Easter Bunny that _he _also had particular distaste with. Her rage prevented her from even speaking his name like it was blaspheme.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Take these things off and leave me be!" She kept her tone monotonous. Dead, unfeeling, detached. This manner was so much better than channeling it into something else. Jack had been wrong, he had always been and now she paid the consequences of her ignorance.

Her eyes swept over them; the Guardians where he was a part of. They were ones that Pitch Black despised so much, the ones that he feared as much as he denied it. The impossible had happened; their worlds collided and they weren't as friendly as he painted them to be.

The intimidating man with a thick accent moved forward, his eyes blazed with anger and determination; no doubt this was North aka Santa Claus. "We will release you after you bring children back safe and soundly" he explained. Elsa could hear the seriousness of his tone even when she was only half-listening; she tried to loosen the bind but the gold coloured man retained its tight grip.

For the first and only time in her immortal life, she had wished that Pitch would somehow appear in front of them to serve as a distraction so she could save herself.

"We're going nowhere with this!" the Easter Bunny roared, "Clearly she won't talk. I say we take her back to your place and interrogate her!"

Santa Claus sighed and began to argue with the rabbit as the humming bird and gold man rolled their eyes and joined in the squabble as well. Seeing it as her chance, she grabbed the whip and froze it thoroughly and snapped it clean. This was not a fight that she could win, at least, in her current state.

Elsa knew she was still in shock, the pang of anger and the hurt of betrayal had run deep into her may distract her from using her magic against them effectively. When the binds finally gave away, the gold man immediately jumped and threw more sand ropes to her but she waved her arms between them; large flurries emitting ice and hail of cataclysmic proportions surrounded them. Ignoring the pain on her thigh, she ran to the other side while continually brewing the cloud larger.

Her left foot slipped and she fell to the ground with a grunt. She watched the cloud form into a violent snow cyclone and waited for it to unleash its rage when a pack of blue lightning volts collided with the flurry. There was a crash and an almighty 'BOOM!' The flurry thinned into a misty vapor and snow fell on the ground. Her hands shook into fists as the familiar shape emerged from the fog and landed next to the other four.

_'Traitor'_ her mind snarled, _'A traitor and a liar.'_ Why? Why did she think that he won't tell anyone? Why was she reassured that he will keep his promise? Now they hunted her down like how Hans and his men had back in the North Mountain. Oh how she could have laughed at the cruel irony. She was played like Anna was played by Hans only this time he promised her trust and friendship instead of eternal love and marriage.

He was telling them something but she didn't stick around to know what. Because she stood up and lifted her hands on her sides. "Sunshine!" he yelled. _How dare he_, was he _that_ thick-skinned to look, let alone talk, to her? She had enough of this; Pitch was right, those Guardians were nothing but trouble and because of Jack Frost; she was now a part of their list of threats along with_ Mann I Mørket_. Ice crystals exploded around her and the icy winds surrounded her form; she took a second to look at him and her voice echoed above the howls of the storm,

_"I trusted you"_

She watched him open his mouth and words spilled from his lips before she stomped her foot hard against the ground and with a crashing roar, she unleashed her fury to her opponents then flew off as fast as she can.

_Where to go?_

Everywhere else was a death trap. No doubt they will find her with their powers. To shake them off, she had to go to the place that no longer existed. To the place where she was born, raised and died. To the place where she once called, home.

Arendelle.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

_SMACK!_

Tooth and Sandy winced at the impact Jack's cheek had received from Bunny's fist. North didn't say anything; he had nothing to say at all. Jack wiped the spit and blood that dribbled out of his mouth with his hand and glared at him, "I'm telling the truth! She's not the one we're after!" He ducked when Bunny threw another punch at him and this time, he stabbed the blunt end of his staff on Bunny's abdomen which made the Guardian curl on the ground with a feral growl.

Jack turned to North for support but he was met with a look of disappointment. He felt cornered; Sandy and Tooth were stared at him like he had completely lost his mind. When he saw the ravaged state of Sunshine's cave, he panicked and began to search for them like crazy. He managed to spot North's sleigh on the mountain ridge on the borders of Sweden and Norway. They were already fighting and when Sunshine broke free and raised her hands, he knew that very moment that it was already too late to stop them. Frost covered the ground with every step he took and stopped at the spot where she disappeared to. If only he complied when they called for him; maybe he could've explained it to them or accompany them to her and somehow talk it all out. He was determined to prove that she wasn't the one they needed to stop but he hadn't foretold how way she would react to that. And when she said those words to him, it felt like he was stabbed with a knife then slowly twisted around to make him writhe in pain.

"What in blue blazes were you thinking?!" Bunny snapped as he nursed his wounded abdomen, "You didn't show your mug when we called 'ya and now you've let her escape! I'm gonna put my foot so far up your-"

"Jack listen to me" Tooth hastily intervened, "We have solid evidence that that woman was behind this mess or if not, she's definitely involved. I mean, why else would she fight against us and just run off without even asking why we were after her, huh?"

Jack's jaw tightened as he gritted his teeth, "Oh I don't know, maybe because you suddenly turned up at her doorstep? I know freaked out when I met you guys, and you're suddenly accusing her of something she didn't do! Sunshine was-"

"Whoa, hold on a sec" Bunny held up a hand (or paw), "Do you_ know_ her? "

He took a sharp intake of breath and ran a hand through his hair, "Well yeah, we've met a couple of times and… _alright fine_. The truth is we're friends okay? I've met her a month ago and we- Look, I know her okay? She's not the one who was doing this and what kind of proof do you guys have anyway? Yeah you saw an ice crystal so what?"

"'_So what?_'! That bloody ice crystal was at a crime scene! Sandy saw it with his own two eyes" Bunny shouted, "And you just met her for a month, I knew blokes for years who wouldn't hesitate to sell out their own mom for the right price!" He hissed when he touched a tender spot and leaned against a boulder, "I've told you to keep your bloody head outta the clouds mate, but I don't think you're even thinkin' with your head!"

What's that supposed to mean?" Jack demanded, advancing to Bunny but Sandy stopped him by placing both hands on his midsection, a pleading look on his face. Jack pursed his lips and threw an angry hand at Bunny's direction, "You know what? Fine! I'm gonna prove to you all that she's not the kidnapper, you'll see!" He angrily hoisted his staff to his shoulder and proceeded to follow the direction where Sunshine flew off to when North stood in front of him. He furrowed his eyebrows and stubbornly walked to the other side but was held back by a strong hand on his shoulder,

"Don't do anything that you would regret Jack. Remember; children are the ones we have to protect. We took an oath when we became Guardians and I will not hesitate to put you in your place if you will put them in a more dangerous situation" It wasn't a threat but it wasn't a friendly reminder as well. The dire facts were there; they didn't trust him with his decision and judgment as much as they trusted Sunshine's innocence. He regarded the large man with a single firm nod and silently asked the wind to carry him to wherever she might be. Before he could elevate a few inches from the ground, he looked over his shoulder and said to North, "I've already hurt two very special people because I always reminded myself that I'm a Guardian, now I have to do what I have to as a friend."

And with that, he dashed off to the west without looking back.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

It was as silent as a graveyard and quite akin to it too. Ice shimmered everywhere and the outlines of ships that had partly sunk under the frozen sea were prominent. Elsa closed her eyes and mindlessly drifted from the streets to the gates of the castle. All the magic that she did when she was alive was still active though they were not immune to the trials that would've unperfected their figures. Her ice shoes clicked against the frozen floors of what was once made of polished marble. All the portraits, flowers and even the curtains were frozen solid. In front of her was the main staircase that led to the royal bedchambers. With a tired sigh, she climbed to the east wing where her old room was. With a simple push, the door opened to reveal her room. It was virtually untouched except for its frozen state. The figurines were still intact and the large windows were still opened.

Being in this place was a mistake; it was like a tomb where some of her family's, including hers', final breaths were exhaled. Too many memories had haunted her and the pain in her chest had begun to appear as well but she pushed it down. If she could only die again and this time, permanently, she would've done so. She sluggishly lowered herself to her own bed, her eyes swept through the details her mind had memorized and preserved in her memory. From the tiny wood chippings on the headboard to the folds of the fabric that hung over the canopy. She was home.

Shadows danced in the foot of her bed, for once, it didn't bother her. She was too tired to kick him out, too drained to even feel surprise at the sudden dimness of her old room. Elsa merely observed the shadow grown into a tall, lithe form of a man. A man who stepped out of the shadows with his eyes that glowed in sinister anticipation.

"Of all the places to go... Why here?" he asked.

No pleasantries were exchanged, not even threats or harsh words were spoken. Elsa just laid there on her side and stared at the wall next to her bed,

"How did you know I was here?" she merely questioned.

"Because I followed your fear" he answered as if it was the simplest explanation, "I feed on fear and let's just say every person, even a spirit, had their distinct... ah, scent. And imagine my surprise to find that you holed yourself into this-" he swept his around as a gesture "-place. And here I thought you've severed all your connections to your previous life."

"I have" she pressed on, "I just... I needed to get away from it all."

"Oh you mean like the company of a certain_ Jack Frost_?" he casually inquired. Her eyes widened and she sat straight up with a murderous glare, "_How did you know that?_ "

"I saw him fly across the borders of Sweden and Norway earlier. I think he's searching for something, or... someone. So unless I didn't get a notice that he was friends with someone in Norway, specifically in the territory of Arendelle, it would only point to you, Your Highness"

She flinched and quickly put up her best blank expression, "I just met him once. And what a noxious mistake that was." And it really was a mistake, now she was pulled into a fight where she wanted no part of and what was worst, they thought that she was the villain of the story, the monster. Pitch hummed and sat on the chair where Anna used to sit; Elsa had the urge to pull him off of the furniture.

"I think... you're hiding something" he said.

"And I shall say the same to you" she bit back, standing to her full height as to remind him where he stands. "Why are you really here Pitch? And how come you think that Jack was after me if you didn't know that we had... met before? Are you the one who kidnapped the children?" Her voice was strong and demanding. Her ice began to overlap the thin layer and Pitch rolled his eyes as if he was in the presence of an impossible child,

"Oh please, what would I do with all those snotty, noisy little brats, _eat them_?" He crossed his legs and connected the tips of his fingers with an easy-going expression, "If I were to wage a war against those nitwits, don't you think I would've been more subtle with it? I had fought against them before and I was merely blindsided by that buffoon but I'm smart enough not to make the same mistake again and I do fancy a retirement period."

She pursed her lips and silently cursed. He did have a point; Pitch was anything but sloppy, and what would be his purpose for the children if he was truly the culprit?

"You know" he said which lightly startled her, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that there's something between you and that white-haired brat. A friendship of some sort, or was there something more in it? Well imagine that; the infamous Jack Frost had managed to thaw the frozen heart of the unfeeling Snow Queen, how droll." His words shook her and a snarl escaped her mouth. If Pitch hadn't tilted his head to the side, he would've ended up with an ice knife sticking out of his forehead.

"Did I hit a nerve?" he asked in a mocking tone that she was all too familiar with.

"_Don't_ ever say that name in front of me" she growled through gritted teeth. "To affiliate me with someone as... as lowly as that- I would be better off killing myself."

Pitch waved his hand at her anger, "Women are always so dramatic. I_ had_ told you before Your Majesty; those Guardians were a thorn in the throat. I propose-"

"No" she grounded out, "I will not side with you Pitch Black, I will be on no one's side. If you try and feed off of my fear to use it for your gain, you will surely regret it." The temperature dropped into a dangerous level that a living being couldn't survive for the lack of heat. Luckily there were only two occupants there and both were practically immune to the change of the temperature.

Pitch scoffed and stood up from the chair, gliding across the room until he was heads breath away from her face, "Why do you fight fear? Embrace your fear, feed it and once you've become one with your fear, you'll be unstoppable!"

Elsa waved a hand and turned around. She strode to the opened windows and crossed her arms. The moon's glow was dim and its paleness reminded her of someone that it clenched her heart with twisted pain. But she didn't react, if Pitch was to ever get even a whiff of this, it would be the end of her. Elsa looked up to the moon and clenched her fists to her chest, she felt free and imprisoned at the same time. She wanted to get rid of Jack for the longest time but recent events had steered her decisions to the opposite direction.

Pitch placed a hand inside his robes and retrieved a few glistering pieces that sat on the palm of his hand. They were fragile little things that contained powerful magic. He lifted his hands to position their points to the queen's back, "You know; I've always hated being the devil's advocate." She didn't move an inch, unaware that he picked at one of the longest needle and slowly pointed it on the area of her back where chest would be located. He lifted his hand and proceeded to puncture the needle to her skin-

_**-',-**_

_**End of Chapter Twelve**_

* * *

><p>Oh no she didn't… but I did! I just gave out a cliff hanger that can cause my life but it was worth it damn it!<p>

Hey guys! Nah, I'm not dead, I just moved to visit my friends. Almost took two days to travel from Surrey to Manitoba 'coz the weather is like the current Arendelle in my story, perma-winter. I have to admit this was the most difficult chapter to write because not only was I writing it in a friend's laptop but I was deprived from coffee and the coffee here was **that** good. Fellow Canucks will get what I mean ;)

And to my lovely reviewers, I adore you all so much! So here's my routinely thanks with responses xD

DeniseAgron: I know, I tried to make it feel as real as possible good thing it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be

reluctant-persona: Oh my by all means xD I tried to update this as often as the previous chapters but things are getting more complicated, it's easier to make a scene of it in my head like a movie that typing it xD Thanks for the support and more power to you!

Otakugirl 13: Sweetie, get outta my head hahaha! You're getting too close to the revealing plots. Hmmm, I'm gonna have to change it mwahahaha! JK! Yep, a daily dose of Jelsa is what I need to keep a stable mind and to survive the boring reality hahaha

Ratashi666: Thank you :) I didn't thinkit will have that certain 'oomph' like some writers but at least it worked. Hope you liked this chapter!

Amaranth1412: I know right? I mean, how they ended up on the frozen lake anyway? I tried to make it in a really deep personal moment and nothing says intimate than sharing the story of how you died with that special someone ahahaha xD But seriously, thanks for praising Jack's characterization. I think it's an easy transition from being the slick and coolheaded teenager to a mischievous kid. He's so adorable like that xD

ForeignerWritingInEnglish: Truly? Oh that will be wonderful! I can't wait! Thanks for the support as always!

StarMaster7: I know, I don't really slam the stories with that but it's hard to grasp the reality I mean, you should at least have few dates and sometime to know the person at least right?! Ahem, random rant moment xD But to know that you approve of this, ah it made my day brighter, take than eternal winter!

shiver (guest): Actually, I try not to make this cute and fluffy. I'm kinda allergic to those things but hey, at least it wasn't a real fluff right?

I would also like to thank: First Movement, Brickgirl101, isidipi, Guest (anon), Frozen Fate, Maict, maggi. lefay, AXeIS, LunaElizabeth (guest), CocoVanillaMilk, StormyRebel

Well guys, this story's steadily gaining support which warmed my heart completely. You won't believe that I almost deleted this story after I posted the second chapter 'coz I thought this was weak but man did you guys proved me wrong. And to share a bit of my past time as I write this down: I actually made a playlist for this fic! HAhaha obsessed much? But really, the song "Let Me Go" by Avril Lavigne and the mash up of "Let It Go/Unconditional" by Katy Perry and Demi Lovato was too perfect for Elsa and Jack in my opinion XD Though I always preferred Ms. Idina Menzel's version since I've been a Wicked fan since I was a kid so yeah I'm biased :D

Bye and see you guys on the next chappies!


	13. Remembrance and Revelations

_**Finne Min Senter**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Thirteen<br>Remembrance and Revelations**_

* * *

><p>-',-<p>

Jamie didn't slept that night, couldn't even close his eyes for more than a couple of minutes before he let out a frustrated groan and rolled to his stomach and punched his pillows to let out some steam. No matter how much he tossed and turned, he found himself staring up at the bars that held the upper bunk and blew away the stray hair that blocked his vision.

The heavy weight hadn't left his body; he refused to eat and insisted that he didn't have an appetite. It worried his mom, as well as Cassidy and Aron but he just felt so... sad. It was like that moment when he got the news about his dad. He felt sick but when he leaned down in the toilet, all he did was heave out and clutch the side with his hands. Sophie had been a great supporter; she would pat him in the back and show him some of the ice figurines Jack had made for her then she went back to whatever she was doing before then.

This was ridiculous, he was the older sibling, he was the one who should be mature, not the one getting comforted by his little sister who can't even tie her shoes!

_'Sleeping early, bad idea'_ he mused as he continued to stare at the bars and just laid there. The quiet ticking of the clock sounded like a hammer being pounded to a slab of concrete for him. Tiny buzzes kept going in and out of his hearing range and made him question his sanity. Guilt, hurt and loneliness had begun to rise from his chest and it kept him from functioning like a normal human being. Frustration had won in the end and it led the boy to grumpily walk out of the room and climbed down the staircase towards the living room. He sat on the chair that faced directly to the fireplace where the flames still burned strong despite the hours. Felix's ears cocked as he watched Jamie's prone outline by his fur rug before he resumed his sleep.

He looked down at his hands and realized that he had brought the book with him without thinking. He just wanted to help... But he knew, deep in his heart that he was only helping Jack because the sooner this mess was cleaned up, the sooner he could have Jack back. He was selfish, and he was aware of it, that's why it hurt so much. He pushed and pushed his idea to Jack who clearly wanted him to stop until he finally snapped; he wasn't able to know the reason as to why Jack didn't think it was a story book character, why he didn't want to look at the drawing he made and the face he showed when he read the title.

But the truth was; he's just a kid. A normal boy who could just see things but can't do anything to help. He was more of a nuisance and maybe he was also the cause of some delays of snow fall in several countries because Jack had been hanging around him longer than necessary. The need to vomit was back again but he forced it down; he could still feel the raw sting in his throat.

A drop of water came from nowhere and dripped to the fabric of his pyjamas. Jamie looked at the roof to search for a hole or something before he realized that it came from his eyes.

"Oh man" he mumbled as he furiously wiped his fast-falling tears with the sleeves of his shirt.

"Rough night?" a gruff voice asked behind him.

Jamie nearly jumped with shock at the sudden intrusion and squinted at the dark. The large figure emerged from the kitchen to reveal Aron with a cup of steaming liquid in his hand, wearing a burgundy night shirt and brown pyjama bottoms. Jamie slumped lower to his seat and muttered, "The worst. I'm such a bad friend."

Aron sat next on the sofa next to him and replied, "Was this about the same friend you talked about the other day?"

He nodded, "I tried to help him but I just made it worse, he got mad and now he thinks that I'm angry or scared of him." He sucked in a large amount of air and let his emotions flow through his words, "You see, I just realized that I'm a very selfish person. I only did those things not because I really care about what he or the others wanted but I just wanted things to be back the way they were. I'm such a bad person" he finished then curled himself in a ball.

A warm hand covered his head and he peeked to see Aron leaning over the armrest and pointedly said to him, "Being selfish doesn't make you a bad person. It's what makes you human. Jamie," he started as he sat on the armrest, "We do things because we think what we're doing is right. Of course, we also commit mistakes and hurt someone but it also means we learn from it. Now I don't mean that we should be... errr... what's it called... ah! Self-righteous, that's it!"

Aron's words had rung the truth but it didn't lessen the hurt in his being. Simply putting a Band-Aid over an open wound doesn't make it go away, it just hides the ugly cut underneath and if left untreated, it would fester and infect other areas. He opened his mouth but stopped when Aron shook his head, "Nothing will be solved if you wallow in guilt and self-pity. You're special, I can tell" he assured him before he stood up from his spot, letting the chair groan with liberation from the burden it received.

Jamie leaned back to the chair and looked down at his hands, "I'm not that special. I'm just different." He placed his knees under his chin and stared at the flames that licked the wood, Aron's words steadily flowed in his brain.

"And being different is a gift" Aron answered, "You see things that others would deny or ignore." Again, the large man was being mysterious.

"So, what am I supposed to do now? I can't even say sorry 'coz he probably wouldn't wanna talk to me" he sighed.

"If he's really your best friend, he won't resist coming back to patch things between you two. For now, try to live normally" Aron advised him.

Jamie nodded as he continued to stare at the fireplace. Felix rolled over to his back and let out a huffing woof and his paws began to move as if he was chasing something. Golden images of squirrels and ducks running popped out of Felix's head and Jamie watched, feeling a bit entertained with the dog's dream.

"And Jamie?" Aron called out as he prepared to climb the stairs to sleep, "Next time your white haired friend visits, please tell him to close the windows; he always invites a draft in here. The frosts were manageable."

Jamie's eyes widened and his jaw slackened when he absorbed the man's words. He stood up on the sofa to confront Aron but the man's already gone to bed. Then... the guy could _see_ Jack! But... wasn't it only _kids_ who can see them?

He bit his lip and watched something shine out of the window; the gold dreamsands had formed a rope. The network of the Sand Man was up and running as usual and Jamie needed help from the Guardians but the Sand Man wasn't someone who he can have a smooth conversation with and Christmas was months away. Easter had passed so he was left with no other choice; the Tooth Fairy.

He walked to the bathroom and flicked the switch. Under the bright fluorescent lights, he pulled the plastic step ladder and stood on top of it. He opened his mouth and checked his teeth. He still got three baby teeth left, according to the dentist but he didn't remember which is which.

_'This is gonna hurt'_ he frowned in his mind.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-;-<em>**

Tooth jolted when a rush of air tethered through her feathers. Her fairies were on the edge, reflecting on her comrades' current mood; North was staring at the globe, Sandy was busy monitoring his dreamsands with a single cloud. Bunnymund had just arrived from his scouting route, his temper had been shorter that it could possibly be and no one wanted to approach him lest they preferred to be hit with an explosive egg.

This was crazy. All of it was. They came to Sweden to try and figure out who it was and when they spotted the spirit holding a doll that was found from the missing girl's home... she cracked. As soon as the ice exploded on their face, she shielded herself with her feathers but a few diamond dusts were caught in her eyes. And when she saw the girl up-close; a foreign feeling of uncased hatred befell on her.

Toothiana was not one to wish harm on others but her anger, worry and suspicion had been bottled up for so long and to see the person who might have taken the kids; the bottled emotions just blew up in her face. Plus the woman's cold, icy blue eyes had stirred something in her.

_"Radi boga!"_

North's sudden cry and the sound of his fist slamming against the table echoed through the whole workshop. Everyone jumped from their seats and the elves accidentally dropped what they were holding, be it a plate of cookies or a pack of faulty light bulbs. North grumbled as he lifted his hand from the table that promptly spilt into two. No one, not even Bunny commented on his actions. Of course he was livid; all of them were.

Tooth glided cautiously to the Russian spirit and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "It's alright, we'll get those kids back, somehow" North sighed heavily and patted her had before he moved to the destroyed table and placed a knee on the ground, "I know we will, but I also worry about Jack."

"What about that _hoon_?" Bunny growled, no doubt he still remembered how Jack 'attacked' him out of self-defence.

North picked up a tiny object and placed it on the palm of his hand. He stood up and held the tiny speck up to the light. The crystal shone with what little light that was reflected to it; the shadow of the snowflake grew on the floor. "Jack's unwavering belief that she was innocent, saying he knows her. Don't you think Jack is-"

"Not this again!" The Easter Bunny huffed and began to walk around with his paws up in the air, "We'd been over this thing a hundred times! If that icy pole was right, then why was she getting so jumpy about? We weren't in that cave for two bloody seconds when she attacked us! And I'm tellin' you, that doll was the same one that Tooth's fairies saw when the ankle biter disappeared. I dunno about this 'Snow Queen' but I smell somethin' going on with those two. He was confessing that he spent time with the Sheila when he was supposed to protect those kids! He still thinks like them! Look, I know he's one of us but I think he still has a lot of training to do."

"I think we've got it wrong" Tooth spoke up in a quiet voice. Everyone turned their attention to the fairy who sat on the edge of the broken work table, "Maybe we couldn't understand Jack because he's like a big kid himself. I mean, last time when Pitch tried to rule the world, wasn't it Jack who helped us realize how much we delved too much in our title ?" Sandy nodded and spelled out the word 'Fun' atop of his head. North gave a weak grin and forced to face the facts that he contradicted himself with his words before.

_'We should believe in him'_

If he could just turn back time and used a different approach, would it have made things better? But, he can't let personal emotions get in the way. He did trust Jack but he can't just trust everyone he meets, even with the younger Guardian's seal of approval. But something popped into his mind, if he can make it work, then everybody's happy!

"I have an idea!" he shouted, making the others jump out of surprise again. Sandy tilted head a bit while Tooth had a sincere curious light in her eyes. Finally Bunny gave a loud defeated sigh and rubbed his paw on his face, "Fine, let's hear it. Better than running around to find a bunch of missing kids blindly anyway."

"What is it North?"

North puffed out his chest and crossed his arms, "We find Snow Queen and strike a deal!" Tooth's face scrunched in confusion while Bunny mumbled, "I take what I said back" Sandy however, was smiling and a picture if two hands holding indicated that he was agreeing with him.

"And how are we gonna find her?" Bunny challenged.

"Jack will" North grunted, confidence seeped in his words, "If anyone can do it, it's him. I know this will be hard but we have to take a chance at this. Jack may not do the best thing at the moment but he's good at seeing things differently and it works. We only have one shot."

"Then what are we supposed to do now? Wait for that whacker to get back?" Bunny said as he stretched out his limb for the final time.

"No," North said as he collected his scabbards, "We stay with our route. If we encounter Snow Queen in our sentry duty, we can't fight. We try and talk-"

"What if she attacked us again?" Tooth asked. The power that she demonstrated was extremely potent and they had to drag Bunny to the sleigh because his feet were completely frozen and her wings felt stiff as a board.

North opened his mouth out wide... but nothing came out. He placed a hand on his beard, what CAN they do?

"I'm afraid we'll have to take her prisoner and find Jack. Maybe he can sort this thing out."

"This is the most confusing month I had" Bunny commented, "First we track the kidnapper, we find a suspect, fight the suspect then reason with 'er. This is one fruit loop ride we got ourselves into!"

"But those poor kids" Tooth sighed, "Imagine, being held captive by a dark creature, separated from your family; they must be so terrified." Her wings dropped and some of her fairies patted her for sympathy.

"Well I guess I would-"

A high-pitched squeal interrupted Bunny's words and they watched a tiny fairy fly at top speed with a paper on its hand. Tooth met the fairy half-way and listened to its story,

"Okay, slow down. Take a deep breath" she instructed. The fairy did so and began to recount the events that happened and produced the paper. Tooth opened the letter and read the words.

_'Tooth Fairy, it's Jamie. We need to talk, privately. I'm in Östersund right now. Your fairy knows where I'm staying. It's really, really important'  
><em>  
>Tooth scanned the letter repeatedly before she nodded at the fairy. She made a zipping gesture to her fairies who nodded and turned to the Guardians,<br>"A bit of trouble with one of my fairies" she fibbed, "It's her first time so she didn't really know what to do."

"You're the Tooth Fairy. Those li'l things came from you, so doesn't the job come naturally?" Bunny asked.

Tooth just shrugged and began to fly away, "I'll be back!" she vowed as she exited through the large doors and headed to Sweden as fast as her wings could.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-',-<strong>_

_'No'_

His mind stopped his hand from injecting the shard into her flesh; _'This will be the last resort. She's vulnerable; she can be swayed and come to me voluntarily. It's just the matter of time.' _He retracted his hand and slipped the needles back in his cloak.

Elsa continued to stare at the moon, unaware on how close she was to the danger which was literally at arm's length. Her silence no doubt told him that she wanted to be left alone and he will comply. This wasn't the time and place, no. The stage must be perfect and there are a lot of things to do anyway.

He slid to the space under the door and decided to explore the palace. The ice that covered the entire palace, it gave an eerie air that he appreciated. What kind of events that happened that echoed sorrow and regrets in halls? From the floor to the walls up to the ceilings the ice had claimed it all; it turned a once lively place into a tomb of isolation with the past pouring out on every crack and hole. Yes, he liked this 'lair' very much. It almost reminded him of his home down at the center of the Earth where no light would dare to enter.

Imagine his surprise when he heard a sound of someone talking by the gates. This was supposed to be an inhabitable place, who could this be?

Pitch hid in the shadows and followed the source of the voice. Through the twists and turns did he seek the person until he finally stopped by the fountain.

A person, it wasn't. A three foot talking snow man with a ridiculous buck tooth waddled in front of him without as much as batting an eye at his direction. A small cloud that gave out snow followed him wherever he went and he was obviously not dangerous with his stick arms, bulging eyes and rock-buttoned body. A weak thing that came alive, why he might've thought this was a spirit that people called 'Frosty the Snow Man' but he hadn't seen this creature before and he was harmless enough. _'And utterly useless'_ Pitch added in his mind.

"Maybe I can build another fort! Oh but that'll take too long! Hmm, Marshmallow's so lazy right now."

The snowman's one sided conversation bored him to death and proceeded to slither away when he heard the snowman say-

"I wish _Elsa's_ here. Gosh, I wonder if she's doing alright. I've waited Winter after Winter after Winter after Winter..."

If that snowman say the word 'winter' one more time, Pitch would yanked his hair out and scream but... he didn't. This little round thing could be a nuisance with his plan. But for now, he's not a threat. With that in mind, Pitch sunk back into his lair and fed off the fear his fearlings had collected.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-;-<em>**

The moon.

She had always loved it. So beautiful, mysterious, so... bright. But now its light waned and shadows had emerged on its sides like it's forming an eclipse. Strange, Elsa never thought that the moon could have a spirit as if it was a living being. Or maybe it was a person and chose to be live on the moon.

She bowed her head and tugged at her braid; silence hung in the entire room and that's the way it has to be. Here, she can't harm anyone else, here, no one can hurt her. 'Foolish girl' she scolded at herself, 'Blindly trusting someone and getting attached, what has gotten into you?' And now she was trapped in the place she once fled. She was weak; even if she tried so hard to avoid her birthplace, she still longed for Arendelle. The country where she lived, where the sky was blue and the flowers were in every colour possible. Where the air was crisp and fresh as the grass greeted the morning with dewdrops on their tips and the birds would sing soft melodies in the Spring.

Now, it was a hollowed wasteland where the ruler who was supposed to protect it had brought it to its doom. "Why do I commit mistakes every time?" she asked. The corners of her eye stung, tears clearly wanted to come out but she forced it back.

Elsa walked in her old bedroom and immediately covered her old mirror. It was an impulsive reaction but she just didn't want to see another mirror, for a while at least. Ice curled in her every step and her signature snowflakes imprinted themselves on the entire floor.

A lone portrait sat on the table and she knew whose picture it housed. Fear rocked her as she closed a hand on her chest. No pain came but there was a momentary discomfort that came through her. So she walked briskly at her table and slammed the picture down. The action meant more than just a simple movement; it was a symbolism. She was tired and she had vowed that she wouldn't be afraid anymore. _So what_ if she was betrayed? _So what_ if she's being hunted down like some gaming animal?

Let them come, and she will let them know the Snow Queen that Arendelle once feared. What they've called a monster.

The sound of a door opening led Elsa to stop in her tracks. _'It can't be'_ she thought, _'No one's supposed to be here!'_ She raced to the hall, down the main staircase and nearly slipped when she saw a roundish form walk into the castle.

In came Olaf with a pine cone for a nose. Elsa stared at him for a long time, not realizing that Olaf was yelling with joy and hugged her midsection. Impossible, he was still here? But she was gone for two centuries, how could he survive without being checked by her?

"Oh I knew you'd come back! Wait until I tell Marshmallow and the trolls! Pabbie and the others will be so-"

"Olaf, _don't_!" Elsa pleaded as she placed her hands on his own, "Don't tell anyone that I'm here. Especially when they come asking about me okay?"

"But what if they're friendly?"

"No one, understand?"

"Even if they say 'Pretty Please'?"

"_Olaf!_"

"Okay okay. I'll keep my mouth zipped" He pursed his lips and placed his hands in front of him like a well-mannered child. Elsa took in a deep breath and gave a weak smile, "It's nice to see you again."

"Mm hmpph!" Olaf tried to talk through his closed mouth. Elsa sighed; she couldn't help but shake her head and grin at his silly antics. If there was one thing that she still got going for her, it was her beloved snowman.

But before she could hug him as she would've done in her past life, a painful lash stirred from her chest burst into waves that had her gasping for air and clawed the floors. After she opened her clenched shut eyes; everything was a blur, a white blobby thing hovered over her and without thinking, she raised her hand up in defence.

Razor sharp stalagmites rose from the ground and speared the white blob.

"Oopsie daisy!" was all the blob said before it was sliced to bits. Her senses came back and realized what she had done. Elsa scrambled to stand and gasped at his shredded body, strangely; a large chunk of his head where his mouth was located moved,

"Hmmm, I'm in a bit of a pickle here, hehe. Elsa um... Can you lend a hand please? Or maybe two?"

Before he could even finish his sentence, his body and head was already swirling along a cyclone of ice and snow. He raised his arms up and even said, 'Whee!' when she lowered him to the ground.

"Olaf, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to!" she exclaimed and held on to the gloves on her hands tighter. But Olaf merely shook the snow from his shoulders and waved it off, "I didn't feel anything so it's alright. Kinda weird to see my legs just walk off, sometimes to the edge a cliff but they always come back!" Elsa failed to see the humour in his comment; her hands trembled and she bit her lower lip. No doubt she was wearing a guilty face because Olaf dropped his jokes and hurried over to her.

"I'm alright Elsa, see? You didn't hurt me, it's okay." He took her hands in his and she squeezed it as tight as she can.

"I didn't hurt you... It's okay" she repeated.

Olaf nodded and squeezed back, "That's right! It's o~kay. Say it with me, 'I~t's o~kay!' There. Wow, I think we should do this as a breathing exercise!" he beamed. But Elsa frowned at the last part; the last thing she wanted was to be reminded of that... boy.

She cleared her throat and composed herself by straightening her dress. Olaf dropped his hands on his side and continued to beam widely at her, which she returned as well. At least this was better than locking herself away in her own room; the company was good for her. But it was a double-edged sword; while she had the luxury of having him as company and can't hurt him accidentally, her love for her creation and the memories he brought with him will hurt her.

"You know, the ice castle's still standing, Marshmallow and I've been staying there. Maybe you should come too, he'll be so happy!" He waddled to the double doors on the end of the hall. If her memory served her right, behind that door was the ballroom. Another place that haunted her dreams.

She placed a hand on the curtain; she could still feel the texture of the fabric. Either her magic wore off over time or her mind was playing tricks on her, and she didn't care to know. Over time she couldn't decipher which was real or not anymore. The recent fight with the Guardians was almost like a vivid dream that was far too surreal.

_Creak!_

Went the doors as Olaf pushed them and walked into the dark room. The floors gleamed despite the lack of light; she could see her reflection on them perfectly and looked at Olaf who stood on the middle of the room. On the farthest corner stood the instruments that were used for grand parties.

"We used to have dances here, people were dancing and the music kept on playing until everyone's too tired to even stand" Olaf reminisced and started to sway to the invisible music. At first, Elsa thought it was a silly sight to behold, and she was right. Watching a snowman dance to nothing in the middle of a large room was indeed a sight but she didn't laugh nor did she asked him to stop. Instead, she walked to him and smiled,

"I'll teach you how to dance" she said.

Gingerly, she took his hands with her glove-covered hands and lifted him up until his feet stood on hers. He stared at her inquisitively and opened his mouth to vocalize his question when she shook her head and gave a soft grin.

She swayed to the right and then to the left, her eyes closed as she hummed a song that she remembered once upon a lifetime ago. In her head, she constructed a time where the guests greeted each other and some were dancing slowly in the soft melody. The musicians would produce the most beautiful sounds and liveliest songs, and the food would be placed on the farthest side of the room.

"Wow" Olaf breathed out, calling her out of her memories and her eyes fluttered open.

'Wow' was right. All around them were ice sculptures of people wearing formal clothes. Some were standing there as if they were watching them while others were talking with each other with heads thrown back as if they were laughing at a joke that was being said. It was magical at the same time troubling. They echoed the past that she wanted to get rid of, of happy, simple times where her life should have halted in that period.

Most feared death, the implication of a life that will be cut off and at its limitations. But Elsa craved for that death. What is the purpose of eternity if you don't have a rock to keep you grounded? The scariest part was losing yourself and she ripped it away from herself when Anna died. It came back, little by little, the old, real Elsa reawakened from its slumber because of-

"Aah!"

She doubled over and clenched her eyes shut as she rode the waves of pain. There was a loud screeching like someone was purposely playing the violin horribly wrong in her ears and her knees buckled to the ground. Her chest felt as if it was on fire; it spread from the center to the tips of her fingers, down to her toes.

It burns.

If she were to describe the pain, it would be as if someone had set her on fire, doused her in alcohol then back to the flames again and this time, sharp blades were digging into her chest inch by agonizing inch.

An urge to scream and claw at her skin, particularly on her chest, was maddening but she just bit her lip and clenched her hands until it turned white. Olaf waddled to her and was about to put a hand on her shoulder but she just hissed the word "No" through her gritted teeth and waited for the pain to go away.

The beautiful ice sculptures were now deformed. The flawless ice now covered in spikes and murky gray colour that splotched the ice around them.

Olaf didn't say anything, an unusual feat coming from him. Instead, he just placed her head against his body and patted her head. Wretched sounds came out of her mouth but not a single tear came out of her eyes.

* * *

><p>-',-<p>

"Jamie?"

The said boy groaned from his pillow and wiped the sleep from his eyes. He blinked for a few moments and let his eyes focus when he saw a familiar face hovering over his bunk.

"Tooth Fairy!" he whispered excitedly and sneaked a peek at Sophie on the top bunk. The little girl was too busy in her sleep to be interrupted so Jamie turned to her. "Tooth Fairy, I can help you guys!"

"With what?" she questioned, her fairies sat on her shoulder and one flew over to Sophie's bunk to watch her dreams.

"The kidnappings!" he exclaimed.

Tooth slapped a hand over her mouth and whispered behind it, "How did you know about that?"

He rolled his eyes as he jumped off the bed and looked for the drawing he made earlier, "It's all over the news and Jack freaked out when I told him who I think it was. You will believe me, right?" He gave her a look of uncertainty which she didn't like at all. Tooth took his hands in hers and firmly said, "Tell me everything Jamie. I promise I won't say anything until you're finished." He nodded and began to recount the things that happened between him and his friend.

Her facial expression varied from soft smiles to confusion and finally, a contorted look of anger and shock. After his story, Tooth sat on his bed next to him and quietly asked, "May I see your drawing?" and he complied.

It was a childish doodle; a picture of a woman wearing a gown with her hair on the left side of her was strikingly close to the ice woman they fought against in the mountains. Had he seen this woman before?

"It really freaked him out" Jamie added, "It's like someone he knew. He never told me anything like that."

"He didn't mention it to us as well. Not until recently at least" she mumbled. "Where did you get the idea that it was her?" She wanted to question herself that as well but the evidences were stacked against the young woman and her hostility just dug her deeper in her own hole.

Jamie blinked once, then twice before he slumped his shoulders, " I guess I saw that book as a sign. I mean, what are the odds of me finding it in a place filled with other thousands of books? I tried to tell 'im that but he got really mad so... I guess he didn't want my help" he sighed.

Tooth frowned and patted on Jamie's head, "Jack's just taking care of you in his own way sweetie. I'm sure he'll come around."

If there was one thing that Jamie's sure about; Jack will always think of him first, he just forgets that fact sometimes.

"Thanks, I needed that" he smiled at the female Guardian.

Tooth returned the smiled before she pulled an angry visage, "You just took out a perfectly healthy secondary molar! Thank goodness it was just a baby tooth!" She huffed as she called a little fairy that held up the tooth for him to see. As Tooth held it in her palms, she took in a deep breath and said, "You tied it with a nylon string and tied the other end on the bathroom door? Huh, I've never seen anyone try this and succeeded. How did you numb the pain?" she asked.

"I chewed on some ice" he simply answered.

"Oh, that's good" Tooth nodded and looked around the bathroom.

"Hey, Tooth Fairy?"

"Yes?"

Jamie hesitated for second before he asked the question that bothered him, "Can grownups see you guys too?"

* * *

><p>-',-<p>

"This is not good" Jack as he sat on top of a large boulder.

Three days. Three freaking days he'd been wandering in the mountains and valleys, looking for a sign that Sunshine had passed there. She was so good at covering her tracks, never left a footprint in the snow as if she wasn't even there to begin with. "Oh man, where are you?!" he shouted in the middle of the forest, his voice travelled through the vast trees and birds flew off out of fright. The quiet and peaceful setting was too... well, peaceful and quiet for him. All he had seen was rivers and stray reindeers. There was a large tree where a heart was carved with the symbols _'A + K'_on them.

'Kids' he thought as he traced the heart with his fingertips. Unconsciously, a smile grew on his face and he hoped that the two lovers had a happy ending in their love story. He wondered what it was like to have someone that special in your life, sharing your thoughts and weakness with another was a rather disarming regard. He had shared his inner most thoughts and memories with two people that were both significant to him in their own special way. Jamie was the first child to believe in him, to see and talk to after all those years of seclusion. His best friend and surrogate little brother whom he would do anything for at all costs.

Sunshine was shrouded in mystery and her initial coldness towards him was certainly off-putting but when he got the glimpse of the real Sunshine; he certainly liked what he saw. He felt... different when he's with her. The light in her eyes suggested the loneliness that she so vehemently denied to have, a helplessness that was easily covered by her brave front but behind it, he knew. He just knew that he had to protect her. From what, he didn't know, maybe from herself or from everyone else.

The blades of grass tickled his bare feet as he strolled through the forestry and whistled Fluff's song as he slung his staff on his shoulder. Best thing he could do now was entertain himself while looking for her. Being serious in a long while was exhausting for him. He jumped over the ledge and saw a clearing where hot vapors rose from the crags and an even stranger sight greeted him.

Perfectly rounded rocks crowded the whole area. Some of them had moss growing on their edges while others had mushrooms and other things sticking on them. He had never seen these kinds before, but then again, he'd never taken any interest on looking at rocks before so maybe it's normal in Norway.

He stared at them for a minute longer before he decided to look for her on the other side of the valley. He passed by a fjord when he flew by earlier so maybe he'd try his luck there. But as soon as turned his back on the rocks, he heard a sound and he quickly spun around with his staff in his hand. Nothing but those weird rocks.

"Gettin' paranoid, huh Jackie-boy?" he whispered to himself.

With another deep breath and he jumped to the branches of a tree with a little pick-me-up from the wind and climbed to the tip of it. There, he saw an ice-capped mountain that wasn't not far from where he was standing. "Wind, take me there!" he shouted, pointing his staff to the mountain's snow covered point. Obediently, the gale boosted him up and threw him to the direction he wanted to go. But as he got nearer to the place, a fierce icy blast hit him and threw him off the route.

He managed to land on a large cushion of powdery snow. With a groan and mental gratefulness that no one witnessed such an embarrassing landing, he spat the snow from his mouth and brushed some from his hair. Through squinted eyes, he looked around and saw... white. Everywhere it was snow, snow and more snow. Something only Sunshine would appreciate he'd bet. It was also a long way to the top so he better get started. Luckily he fell on a rather soft-

"Grrrrrrr!"

Spot?

Jack leapt out of the patch of snow he was standing on. Slowly, like the zombies he'd seen in Jamie's comic books, a monstrous creature crawled out. It was _huge_. The hulking creature extended its limbs that were connected by ice and both of its rounded knuckled flexed and it reared its head to him with its empty eye sockets.

The only words that spilled from Jack's mouth were,

"That's one big snowman."

_**-',-**_

_**End of Chapter Thirteen**_

* * *

><p>Radi Boga : For heaven's sake<p>

Goodness. If somebody said that a little exercise won't kill you, they LIED. Got hospitalized after I went jogging with some pals one morning and I got a high fever because of that! It's so BS! But anyways, thank you all for the love to the story. I'm truly entertained and even a bit frazzled with your reviews. Some had even ruffled my feathers so let's get on with it.

Here are the special readers who I wanted to thank with all my heart.

StormyRebel: Thank you for that input but I have to point out that the Guardians were _protectors_. With the children who were supposed to be watched under them to suddenly disappear without a trace would cause a frenzy. If you would've remembered in the previous chapters, I have implied that they had already suspected Pitch Black since he was a threat before but they ruled him out simply because there would be no motive. Not only was the snowflake a clue but the doll as well. Elsa of course would panic and since she just had an episode, she's a bit jumpy to begin with and it shouldn't be a surprise for her to attack them first because all she knows was that Jack promised to keep his mouth zipped. I hope that clarified some misunderstandings and for the last part, no. I intentionally wrote it like that. Thanks again and happy reading.

shiver: Hahaha and I'm happy to know that I have messed up your feelings xD

Otakugirl 13: Epic fangirling level – Over 9000! Hahaha, I would love to see that GIF! Thanks for your thoughts, as always and BTW, I love love love your profile pic, it's my OTP on that show. You know what I mean ;)

Amaranth1412: You don't know how much I went down to my knees and cried 'Someone got exactly what I was trying to convey after a chapter of conflict!' Then, I had a tub of ice cream after that xD I really can't imagine that they would have a smooth transition from their habits to what they're supposed to do. Indeed, that was the downside of being a hero; work and personal life will indeed clash and you will have to choose between them. And I was really stumped about your character analysis of the Jack in my story. I wanted him to be… real, not just a one-dimensional character that was always about fun and games. I've seen other people do what the Guardians have done, specifically the whole 'he's not answering, he's guilty!' thing especially if they weren't in their right state of mind and sometimes when it was in the given circumstance. It really touched me to know that you've learned something in this because I'm trying to give some meaning into this story than just have something to write about. I do hope you'll like this chapter and I also hope to hear from you soon!

anna-daru: Thank you, I always try to keep them in character :)

DeniseAgron: Oh, you'll know what it was real soon ;) Hahaha, no, definitely not in his favor. Care to send a package for him? Hahaha I love that Hunger Games reference.

AXeIS: Woah, your love for this is so moving! Damn, I promise I will never ever leave this story unfinished! And I checked it out. It's awesome!

Maict: An excellent insight :) It's about how we act and our decisions that control our ending.

imafangirlforever: Awww shucks, thanks!

AffyRainbws: I try ;)

ForeignerWritingInEnglish: And I'll be rooting for you dear! Remember though, studies first! :)

Thank you as well to: , First Movement, NightmareHeartx, ThaliaEvans

Well guys, here's the question: Why do you think Aron can see Jack? Let me dissect your brains!- AHEM I mean, please share your thoughts with me :)

PMs, Comments and Questions are always welcomed. Flames will be thrown away and you will get a rather nasty note from me because I don't like rude people. See you all next chapter which will be posted along with another Jelsa AU Oneshot! Remember darlings, Read and Review!


	14. Liaisons

**Finne Min Senter  
>Chapter Fourteen<br>Liasons**

-',-

* * *

><p>There were a lot of weird things that Jack had encountered in his eternal life, but none had exceeded anything like this one. An ice monster that was over a hundred feet tall glowered down at him; its breathing was loud and utterly disturbing like it was gasping for air. Jack stood there for a moment and watched as the behemoth clumsily took its first step. The lower section of its head opened and a loud roar came out of it. Large blasts of air with snow exited from its jaws that threatened to blow Jack away if he hadn't planted his staff on the earth. He forced to open his eyes through the blizzard and held on to his staff until the winds died down. The ice monster 'hmph'-ed and slowly walked away, trudging along the path. Jack just stood there with a mystified face.<p>

If there was anyone who can make something as unrealistic as this, it would be Sunshine. And just like Fluff who came to life, maybe it can also lead him to her; it didn't look _that_ scary after all. Just a really big snowman that can create a small blizzard from its mouth and a short temper to match; just like its creator.

He jogged after the big fella and tried to gain its attention. "Hey!" he yelled but the creature didn't stop his stride and ignored him. Jack leered at its back and formed a snowball in his hand; this fellow reminded him too much of Sunshine and if he's really affiliated with her, Jack will make sure he'll lead him to her. With an unwavering resolve, he threw it as hard as he could and hit it squarely on its back. The big guy turned around with his eyes glowing brightly and roared out; spikes of crystallized ice shot out from his back and claws grew on his formerly rounded fingers.

"Oh boy..." Jack said as the ice creature began to charge at him. _'Way to go you idiot!'_ he berated himself as he ducked from a claw that was supposed to swipe him. Jack sidestepped from another incoming attack and slashed his staff to cut the wall of rushing icy winds. His hoodie felt heavy and his feet sagged on the deep snow and he looked to see that icicles had formed in his body.

Frustration ate away his thoughts; he was more used to offense rather than defense so he leapt from the ground and hit the tip of his staff as hard as he could. Dark clouds began to form above their heads, the air was bitter and vicious; not taking sides but rather acted as a raw force of nature. Bright blue bolts cracked in the atmosphere and it surrounded the roaring monster; it waved its claws to grab an invisible enemy and Jack used its distraction to his advantage. He swept his staff to an upward angle which sent a tide of avalanche. A massive amount of snow curled into a giant wave and covered everything in its path.

Jack exhaled from his mouth slowly, his throat felt dry and his feet were numb but not from the cold. It was something else entirely but he wasn't sure what the exact reason was. He turned around to leave when a clawed arm shot up from the ground and the creature hoisted itself from the snow like it did before. Before he could do anything, the creature grabbed his feet and he found himself dangling upside down on the air with a humongous clawed hand on his legs. A boom of thunder boomed and a blinding flash of blue light came from the sky and viciously crashed between them. A roar echoed throughout the landscape and Jack plummeted to the ground, the hand was still gripping his legs.

It didn't take a second for Jack to know that he actually cut off its hand out of desperation. It was kind of cool except he made it even angrier; evidently the grip on his legs tightened.

He squirmed and twisted around the hand before he finally released himself from it and stared at the ice creature who was now growling low; no doubt more cautious of him. But Jack knew that fighting wasn't the only tactic and tried a different approach. He lifted the dismembered hand (what he could carry anyways) and offered it to him.

The creature hesitantly took his hand and placed it on the stump, only for it to fall on the ground. The creature and Jack stared at the hand before he repeated his actions for a few more times and it ended up with the same result.

"This is getting me nowhere" Jack sighed before he walked up to the creature and touched the hand. The creature growled in warning and Jack raised his hand;

"It's okay" he coaxed, "I'm gonna help you but I can't do that if you're going to rip me apart. So, truce?"

The behemoth said nothing except a huff and sat on the ground with his stump raised up. Jack heaved the discarded member and the creature helped him to press it against its former location. He pressed the tip of his staff lightly against the split but not before the creature backed away with uncertainty.

He relented and shot out a small line of blue bolt the encircled around the slit. After a few seconds, the hand was connected back to his body. The creature looked at his hand then stared at Jack before he stood up and started to walk off.

"Wha- Hey!" Jack shouted as he swung his staff to his shoulder and ran after the creature yet again. He continued to shrug him off as he did earlier and he felt like it was some sort of a twisted cycle. Just as he took another step, he noticed something glistened from the mounds of snow. Forgetting his intentions for a moment, he searched the ground and saw something gold poked out of the white.

But before he could even bend over to scoop up the object; an angry growl came and a large shadow hovered over him. "Don't touch!" the creature yelled, prompting another small blizzard that nearly knocked him off his feet.

The clawed hand grabbed a handful of snow from the ground, dusting off large amounts of ice before all that was left was so tiny that Jack can't even see the object from where he was standing.

He heard a soft rumbling from his 'friend' and saw him softly stroke the hidden object; it can really raise a more than a couple of eyebrows. The creature closed its hand and turned to him, "Don't touch" he repeated.

"Why?" Jack asked.

"Not yours" he simply answered.

His face scrunched in an irritated twist and pocketed his hands in his hoodie, "So it's yours then?" he asked. The creature was silent before it grumbled out,

"Mama's."

He was taken aback at his tone. It was deep like a low rumbling but it rang with sincerity and deep adoration like how toddlers would regard their mommies. The creature stared some more at the unknown object before he started to walk away, much to Jack's annoyance.

"Hey!" he called after the snow monster, "I found that thing so I can at least take a look at it!" It was no doubt pointless to try and reason with the giant snow cone. It looked as if it didn't have any brains at all but the creature did stop like it considered his words. To Jack's surprise, the creature lowered his large hand and opened his palm wide to let him see a small triangular object that was but a speck amidst the white that made up the beast.

"What is that?" he asked

"Mama's head band" he replied.

Jack's face scrunched up; the 'head band' looked more like a tiara. He reached for it to take a better look when the hand clenched shut and he was plucked from the ground and came face to face with the creature,

"Don't. Touch!" he roared, sending another lash of ice and wind to Jack's upper body. He frowned as he swept the ice from his face and leered at the 'snowman'. He tapped his staff straight to the creature's face, "Take me to your 'mama' then, I need to talk to her."

"Can't"

"Why? Did she say 'Don't talk to strangers?'"

"Mama's dead"

* * *

><p><strong>-',-<strong>

Nights in Arendelle were always peaceful; even before she froze everything, the atmosphere was quiet, comforting. It relaxed her even when she was an infant; the soft caress of the wind, the cool night air was blissful and it never failed to lull her to sleep.

Elsa stood by her window, letting the wind fan her face with the crisp smell that was carried from the forest. She leaned against the wooden frame and rubbed her hands to her forearm. Olaf was wandering around in the castle for the nth time; it seemed like he took it upon himself to check the castle's structure over the years even if Elsa personally thought it was uncalled for.

The castle was made from the sturdiest of stones and the strongest of steel. It stood through the rage of storms and the terror of earthquakes. It stood against the test of time and since it was fortified with her ice; it can even outlive them all, metaphorically speaking.

Elsa watched the stars sparkle in the night sky; little diamonds that glistened beautifully while wishes were bore to them. She used to wish on them too; when she was five, she wished for a picture book. At eight, she wished she could play with Anna every day in her ice without the need for secrecy. But at ten, she wished that she didn't have her powers. At thirteen, she wished that her parents wouldn't look at her with fear even when they had promised that they will help her. At eighteen... she wished that she didn't let her parents go to that trip. It was so long ago that she forgot about where they were going in the first place. After their funeral... she just stopped wishing.

Wishing on stars was a childish thing; those astronomical beings that seemed to sparkle were no more than gases being burned in space. If there was one thing she disliked from reading a book; sometimes it took the magic out of everything.

It was simply... gone. It was a part of growing up and for Elsa, she was forced to grow up way before eleven years of age. Learning new things that were discovered, invented and clarified every decade or so never failed to make her head spin.

No matter how much she preferred the quiet; the absence of the sounds of the night were noticeable. The chirps of the crickets, the crackling of the fire in the hearth, the soft footfalls and hushed whispers of the castle staff outside her door... She knew it was too soon to return to Arendelle. A stonehearted queen she was not. No matter how thick the layers of ice covered and choked her heart, it would always long for her birthland. The bleak atmosphere mingled with what was formerly a relaxing air and she knew the reason.

_He_ was in the room. But she knew he never left, not really. He always left a suffocating hold, a shiver that made the hair on the back of her neck stand; she hated it. Hated him, more accurately.

"_Mann I Mørket_" she said monotonously.

She didn't to wait for his reply because the shadows danced across the walls and floor had begun to merge on a single spot. Pitch rose from the darkness; his glowing eyes were the only things that separated him from the blackness of her chamber.

"I do hope I'm not interrupting anything" he spoke softly as he glided to the chair that he sat on recently. Her eyes narrowed as he settled comfortably in Anna's chair; he made no effort nor the audacity to act like he was intruding in her personal space.

He leaned back and placed the tips of his fingers in a business-like posture, "What are you planning to do now? You've been discovered and you're a prisoner."

"Arendelle is not a prison" she growled

Pitch took his joined fingertips under his chin, "Ah, but the Guardians are now looking for you and if you step a foot out of your kingdom, they'll know. And they will hunt you down like some sort of gaming animal. Forced to hide away in the place you've dreaded to return to and you knew. You just knew that affiliating yourself with a certain Guardian will set your own downfall in motion."

This realization was a slap on the face because it was true. They might have found her purely by accident but they saw her face and they have powers that can pinpoint her location. The one she counted on, her one and only friend had failed her and was only safe because she was hidden in a place that didn't exist. At least, not anymore. And the worst part was; she failed herself.

In an unexpected moment of weakness, Elsa bit her lips and clenched her hands shut. Her breath shuddered and she could swear Pitch knew what she was feeling at that very moment.

"You're scared" he whispered.

There was no smirk, no arrogant remarks nor snide comments; his voice was steady and his face was calm and, to her anger, assured that he was correct. He was simply stating a fact that she already knew but refused to acknowledge it before. "Yes, I am" she answered, there was no use with arguing or denying it. Clearly he wasn't expecting her to be honest; he expected her to bite back, to retaliate.

"Hmm" he mused and watched her closely with a thoughtful gaze.

Elsa bent her knees forward and a chair made of ice sprang from the ground and caught her in the desired position which was purposely higher than Pitch's seat. The dark spirit let an amused smirk play on his face; the queen didn't let the opportunity slide to show her dominance over him.

"I see you've taken it upon yourself to visit my domain, no matter how much your presence is unwanted here" she spoke in a somber tone.

"Is it that highly unlikely of me to worry for others?" he asked.

"Do you really think that you'll get a positive answer with that question?" she scoffed as she placed her elbows against the armrests and leaned back on the chair. She ignored the familiarizing atmosphere that dropped upon them; the back-sassing and jabs were too sickeningly close to her encounter with a certain cretin. Pitch didn't seem to take much notice at her dampened mood and proceeded to voice out his observation.

"It seems that you've been more open to casual conversations lately" he said, critical in choosing the words that flowed from his mouth, "Should I be worried that you're manipulating me, or rejoice that you've somehow accepted my company?"

Elsa felt a twitch near her temple and humoured him with a mysterious smirk. If there was a positive outcome with talking to the Mann i Mørket, it was to remind herself to guard everything and not give anything away. A game of wits that had always kept her on her toes and he was the only one who can give her that, begrudgingly so.

She tugged at the end of her braid while she kept her narrowed eyes at his eased posture, "Don't get too comfortable with your position, I'm merely exercising my patience and regain a sense of normalcy after that tedious episode" she clarified.

"And what is 'normal' for you?" he asked.

Elsa kept a straight face, careful with the words that came out of her lips. Any slip-ups will be paid dearly. Plus, she wanted to keep him away from her comfort zone; preferably half-way across the Earth from where she was sitting.

"Normal was the time when you're the only one I wished to destroy-"

"And why didn't you destroy after numerous chances?" he pressed on, this new Elsa was entertaining but she was getting carelss. He needed the cold, callous and focused Snow Queen that the people in this kingdom had feared.

"Because I would only waste my power and time for the likes of you. And if the Guardians can defeat you; then you're not even worth the slightest of effort at all" she answered confidently and relished the narrowed eyes that squashed the amusement it once held.

"Be careful with that tongue of yours" Pitch warned, "I had been caught off-guard and I may have underestimated them, but I always learn from experience."

"And yet you keep asking me the same thing for who knows how long. Give it up _Mann I Mørket_, my answer will stand as it was when you have first asked me."

Pitch said nothing, he didn't react at her words at all. He just sat there, watching, observing her like he was studying her movements; frankly, it creep her out. It was like he was trying to tie a collar around her neck and if he found any form of weakness, he would seize the opportunity.

"Hmmm" he hummed and leaned on his hands. They both stared at each other for quite a while before he straightened himself and said,

"Do you know that you remind me of Jack Frost?"

His words made her whole body cold for the first time in her existence.

"And what makes you say that?" she asked, her cold tone came back and it made her feel like she was the untouchable Snow Queen.

"Your crippling love for your younger sister. Of course, when he became a spirit, he simply forgot who he was and what he was doing here. All he had was his staff and a newly attained power to control ice" he said.

It took her a few seconds to let the information sink in her head. He was granted a great favor; the absence of his past. How he had come to remember his sister, she didn't know how but somehow her anger formed into envy. He was a normal human then; he didn't know the pain that she went through. The years of confusion and self-loathing that she carried, the fear and suspicion of others even when she thawed the ice and opened the gates while he was a regular young man who iust happened to have an accident in a frozen lake.

"... Why did that happened?" she quietly asked though Jack had already answered her.

Pitch leaned back to the chair and waved his hand to the window, "The same being that brought you back in to this wretched world, the source of your pain. The Man in the Moon. And no doubt he's helping his precious Guardians seek you out. Jack Frost will be front of the line of course, he never had any troubles with his magic."

It made her sick. She sought out help from him while he had full control of his powers the very moment he got them, it was unfair.

"And the one who made this mess? Oho, the culprit's been watching your move every single second. You see, I don't even know why he chose you to remain here and witness the death of your own sister, it's quite dastardly of him. Frankly it just salted the wound your little sister had, seeing you for the last time before losing you again, this time for all eternity." Pitch whispered, his words seeped into her ears and though she knew that he strung her to get what he wanted, she failed to resist the trap he set for her.

She ignored Pitch's gaze when she walked to the balcony and pushed the doors open to reveal the moon. Its waning light grew faint but she didn't care. She clenched her hands, the sound of fabric being ripped apart hung in the air and what remained of the gloves fell slowly to the floor. Her breathing was laboured and it a split second, she threw her hand to the moon and deadly icicles erupted from her hand before they flew to the direction of the moon.

"How many icicles will it take for you to impale the moon?" the infuriating man inquired.

"Five thousand, five million, I don't care!" she roared. Harsh winds blew into her sleeping chamber and ice began to sprawl in every corner. She could hear the whoosh that was his robes as he avoided the spontaneous bursts of snow and ice but her eyes and attention stayed on the pearly orb.

Elsa grabbed the frozen handles and slammed the doors shut, the noise echoed on the walls. She was worried at first the Olaf might hear but she shrugged it off, let him know that she needed some time alone. Pitch appeared behind her with an unmistakable glee on his face,

"So, does that mean that you'll join in my side?" he asked.

Elsa froze, she didn't know. On one hand, she'll be able to get rid of those Guardians and on the other hand...

_'You're not alone anymore, I'll never leave you'_

A white flash appeared before her eyes for a second and her chest felt as if it was being crushed by something heavy. To avoid any suspicions from Pitch, she quickly crossed her arms against her chest and coughed out,

"I'll... think about it..."

She didn't even need to look at him to know that there was a smirk on his face as if she had given the answer that very moment. He turned to leave when she spoke out,

"Pitch Black"

Pitch turned his head to her direction with his hands folded on his back, "Yes?"

"If you try to use my sister to lure me in one more time, the Guardians will be the least of your problems" she threatened, her words rang true and if he had the sense, he would do so heed her words.

But even as Pitch retired for the day, she kept her arms over her chest. She flexed her fingers, reveling on the feeling of her bare skin. Her mind clicked in a rapid pace as she tried to analyze what happened. _Mann I Mørket_ had given her information without asking for anything, he just told her. But it didn't mean that she trust him anytime soon; for all she knew he could've made those things up to gain favor from her.

The door slowly opened and in came Olaf with a smile on his face. "Everything's ship-shape!" he reported. His smile dropped when he saw what remained of the gloves.

"Elsa your gloves!" he exclaimed and waddled to her.

She gave him a sad smile and uncrossed her arms, "It's alright Olaf" she said, "I just felt that I don't want them anymore." She let it go all right, and this time, she didn't need anyone; she will find a way to control her powers on her own. And if the Guardians continue to pester her with false accusations, she'll direct the storm to their direction and ravage them beyond recognition.

She conjured up a small butterfly with her hand and before the little thing could fly away, she snatched it out of midair and crushed it with her own hand,

"I stand alone."

* * *

><p>"So you're saying that this 'Aron' person can see us?" Tooth asked for the umpteenth time as Jamie nodded exasperatedly at her.<p>

"It's really weird. I thought only kids can see you!" he explained and rocked his chair as his excitement burst in his veins, "D'you think he's one of you guys?"

Tooth shook her head and sat on the foot of the bed, "I've heard of such instances but I never thought that someone like that still existed. Children usually outgrew their beliefs when they reached their adolescence" she explained.

"Does that mean I will too?!" Jamie cried, his eyes widened with the thought of never seeing his friend again.

Tooth grabbed his hands and calmed him down; "Now now, it didn't necessarily mean that all kids will outgrow us. You and your friends helped us against Pitch Black, I don't think you would ever forget about that"

Jamie gave a small grin and nodded, "I don't think Jack will ever let me forget about you guys."

Tooth returned his smile but paused when she heard footsteps just outside the bedroom door. Jamie paused as well amd immediately jumped under the covers and pretended to sleep. Tooth flew up to the farthest corner of the bedroom and hid by the curtains. The door opened slightly; a large man with a squared jaw and a mop of dark auburn hair entered the room and his wide gray eyes swept the room. Tooth's eyes narrowed and her wings flinched when his eyes rested upon her.

"Tooth Fairy" he simply said.

Tooth gasped and cautiously glided to Aron with a reproachful expression and stopped a few feet from him.

_'You can see us?'_ she asked in Swedish tongue.

_'Yes. Though it was too bad my son can't. He's been caught up too much with the modern world' _he lamented, completely missed the urgent tone in Tooth's words.

_'But... how? Adults aren't supposed to see us unless they saw us as children, and even then, some have even dismissed us as pure imagination or dreams!'_ she wondered, her fairies peeked over her shoulder and chattered amongst themselves in wonderment.

_'Because you used to know my grandmother'_ he answered, _'Her name was Katherine. Katherine Shalazar she was then.'_

Tooth gasped and stared hard at Aron's face. There was the likeness of the young girl she used to know on the middle aged man's face; the curious light in his gray eyes, the shape of his nose and the kind expression that was distinctively like the girl's. He really was Katherine's grandson. Things got a whole lot confusing.

_'Then, you know about us?'_ she questioned as she flew closer now that everything was sorted out, somewhat. Aron nodded and tiptoed across the room, careful not to make a noise to disturb the children. Little did he know that Jamie was far from sleeping. He took out an old leather book filled with yellowed pages and faded drawings. Tooth opened it with shaking hands and hummed wistfully at the contents. There, littered the sketches and drawings of the girl who believed in them. 'The Storyteller' they called her and the spirit who was always by her side was Nightlight.

Tooth traced a faint sketch of herself lovingly. She never took the time to sneak a peek at Katherine because she was always too busy and she didn't have that special bond like Katherine had with Nightlight or what Jack and Jamie had. But that bond came with such a high price that the Guardians had vowed to never experience such a thing again.

_'Does the recent kidnapping have something to do with the Guardians?'_ Aron asked in a solemn tone.

The Tooth Fairy sighed deeply and nodded, _'There were a few suspects but there's a new spirit-'  
><em>

Jamie strained to catch what they were saying but they both spoke in Swedish so fast that he could hardly understand a word except for the name 'Katherine'. Odd, Jack never mentioned someone like that before. His breathing slowed to a normal pace when Aron began to walk to the doorway and the shadow of Tooth hovered over the foot of the bunk beds while Sophie was still sound asleep on top of him.

As soon as the door closed, he sat up from the bed, grateful that the bars of the bunk bed was high enough for him not to bump his head, and turned to Tooth.

"What was that about?" he asked in an excited tone.

Tooth smiled and placed a gentle hand on his head, "He'll be able to help us with the kidnappings."

Jamie was psyched about the latest progress but he made a puzzled face and asked, "Who's Katherine?"

The humanoid hummingbird grinned and sat on his bed, "Well, there was a little orphan girl named Katherine. She was adopted by a man named Ombric..."

Tooth began to tell Jamie about Katherine, the girl who embodied Mother Goose as well as Nightlight, the Man in the Moon's personal bodyguard. Throughout the night, Jamie had begun to see things through a Guardian's eyes and wished he had met Katherine.

* * *

><p>"No, for the last time Sunshine's not dead... I mean, she is- but technically she's not really gone but became a spirit like me." Jack explained as he floated next to... Marshmallow. He had a good two minute laugh at the giant's expense when he told him his name and he was forced to cut off his laughter when a large hand came to swat him down like a fly.<p>

"Mama's a ghost?" the behemoth clarified with a conflicted tone.

"Sorta like that" Jack nodded, "So I think that she must've run off to this mountain and hide."

"Mama hiding?"

"Yeah, apparently from me" he grumbled. How can he explain the situation to her when she just up and went to who know where? He continued to tail Marshmallow (he still couldn't get over the name) to his... house.

"Why mama hiding?"

"Coz we got into a bit of a mix-up" he answered, unsure whether he can explain it fully to the giant snow cone or not. Jack was not a genius but the big fellow might have a few snowballs loose in his head. Marshmallow scratched his head as he continued his climb on the mountain while Jack flew faster just to keep up. Slowly, a tip of a house was visible at Jack's sight.

"House" Marshmallow offered as soon as they climbed (more like Marshmallow climbed while Jack just flew) the last cliff. Jack knew what a house looked like, and this was no house.

"It's an ice castle" he said as he continued to study the grand structure before him the stairs that was crafted into a flawless entryway that let to a gigantic double door entrance with her signature snowflakes as door handles. 'Tasteful' he commented dryly in his mind when Marshmallow opened the doors and revealed the interior.

Now, Jack wasn't a critique or anything like that but the place was just like it popped up from an interior designer's dream. The high ice chandelier, the frozen fountain, the two large staircases that let to a single room and the walls were all decorated by patterns.

Jack whistled at her handiwork and landed on the ground to feel a slight nip on his feet. He tapped his frost on the ground and watched his own frost curl around Sunshine's ice. It intertwined into a ribbon before her ice ultimately ate away his frost.

_'Just like Sunshine'_ he mused.

He absentmindedly drifted along the winding stairs; all the while thinking about how he can fix the mess and bring Sunshine back.

He stood in the middle of an empty room and he never felt more alone in his whole life. The quiet sadness filled every corner and he wondered how someone could've possibly lived in such an environment. The castle itself was beautiful with snowflake murals and the dazzling colours bounced off when the sunlight hit the surface but underneath it was a black void where it threatened to sweep you in and never let go.

No wonder she was very guarded with other spirits, the very atmosphere screamed 'Leave me alone' and her constant mood swing was like a living time bomb. But he didn't even try to lie to himself that it really stung when she called him a traitor, even though he was going to drag her out and show her to Jamie, but that's for her own good... right?

"Man I really have to use my use my brain when I do something" he mumbled before he did a double take and said, "Woah, can Bunny possess other spirits to talk like him?"

Marshmallow, who was (unsuccessfully) hiding by the door way, stared at him while he spoke to no one so he shook his head and said,

"Dumb dumb"

* * *

><p>Boredom had once again got its grasp on the Guardian of Fun. He nearly fell asleep against the railings on the balcony as he pulled his hoodie up and tucked his hands in his pockets. His staff leaned against the wall and the snowflakes he conjured up to keep him entertained had been long gone with a rather large gale of wind. Time was of the essence but he found this place strangely... cozy. He avoided the interior like a plague but the view on the balcony was a sight to see.<p>

Jack watched the door handles opposite to him. The large snowflakes seemed to mock him for the girl he somehow lost. She felt so close and yet she might be a thousand miles from him, where had he heard that phrase before? It's so strange... and a bit creepy, he was never one for romantic stuff since it was but a short time when he realized he had feelings for the young woman. He wasn't sure if he could call it 'love' since he hadn't explored their relationship fully for that but he was certain there was a healthy dose of not only physical attraction but an emotional bond between them.

Then there was a matter of trust. A relationship can only work if there was absolute trust and they both had problems with that part. She trusted him to keep her secret and he did (in a certain circumstance) but now she was determined to slice his head off for real this time.

His gaze sharpened as he pondered on what could have triggered that disastrous meeting with the other Guardians. It was so unlike them to dismiss Sunshine as the perpetrator without any solid evidence… except for the ice crystal with her snowflake in it at the crime scene, the doll, the coincidental time frame, her violent reaction when she saw them, attacking the Guardians...

Okay so it may have looked as if she had done it but Jack knew that she wasn't the culprit. For one thing, he was almost always with her and she didn't have the mind (and looks) of a kidnapper. He may not have known her for a long time but he knew her heart was in the right place. If anything, she was scared of her powers.

Fear...

Jack jumped up from floor and grabbed his staff. Fear! That usually hung around her and if there was fear, Pitch may not be far behind. Now, he really needed to get to her. If Pitch found out about Sunshine... he didn't even want to complete the thought. And he never ruled Pitch out of the suspects list, that guy's was way up in his list.

He spotted Marshmallow dragging himself outside by the forest and jumped out of the balcony, spying the frozen fjord a few miles away before he landed on the knee-deep snow. "Snow cone!" he called out, determined to get some answers.

Marshmallow grunted and ignored him which made Jack sigh in frustration and scratched the back of his head furiously, "Fine, Marshmallow!" This time, he acknowledged him by turning around; "Where does 'mama' lived?"

"In house" he simply answered.

If this was a cartoon Jack would have fell on his back in a comedic fashion. Instead, he smushed his hand against his face and rubbed it, "Yeah I know she live in a house but I'm asking where that house was."

"Why are you asking?"

"I want to see her!"

"... Not hurt her?" he asked in a suspicious tone.

"Wha- No, I'm not gonna hurt her! For one thing, s_he's _gonna hurt _me_!" he cried out.

"Why?"

"I told you we got into a… little disagreement."

"Are you a bad man?"

"No I'm not a bad man!"

"You hurt Marshmallow!"

"Hey, I tried to play nice but you tried to crush me!"

"You cut off hand!"

"Because you grabbed me and held me upside down!" he shouted before he took a deep breath and uttered, "Look at me; trying to hang on every word and explaining it to a living snowman"

Marshmallow looked thoughtful for a moment before he rumbled, "Mama lives in very big house near big pond"

Jack was on the end of his rope and was about to lash out when he remembered the fjord he saw earlier, was that what he meant? There might be a town or camp near there and if she really did live there before, there was a chance she might be there again. He gripped his staff and shouted, "Wind, get me to the fjord!"

As the wind began to pick him up, he gave a curt nod to Marshmallow and promised, "I'll find Sunshine and bring her here alright? See ya Snow cone!"

"Mama's name not Sunshine, it's-"

Jack flew off without letting him finish and he found himself already halfway across the great forest. _'Sunshine, I'm gonna find you' _he vowed. He didn't have a plan or a strategy on how to fix everything but he had one foolproof method that saved his backside numerous times; he was going to wing it.

* * *

><p>Elsa pressed her palm against the sheet of ice and let her powers flow out like water from a pitcher. The grayish walls turned into a light blue tinged sheet that ate out the old layer. She frowned as she studied it; her emotions were still unstable. Pitch had stirred the sleeping anger and resentment she felt towards everyone, especially herself. Why must Jack have the privilege to forget his past while she was made to remember it for every single day? All those years of agony, it was enough for her to freeze the entire world or maybe hole herself in a cave which she had been doing in the past years.<p>

"Y'know, Marshmallow will be really glad to see you~" Olaf hummed as he swung his legs back and forth while sitting on the edge of her bed. He had been bugging her to visit her Ice Castle in the North Mountain for some time now and while she missed her personal bodyguard, the last time she saw Marshmallow; the snow monster had shed most of his ferocious attitude and devolved into more of a small child's mindset. While Olaf was all for fun and excitement, Marshmallow liked to be alone except for her company and it struck her strange when he started to follow her everywhere like an infant. She'd never been left alone with a child before. She died before she can have her own brood, before Anna and Kristoff's first son was born (she learned that his name was Klaus) and the castle was short of toddlers since Anna and Olaf were the youngest residents there. Whenever a party was held and everyone in the kingdom was invited in the castle, it was Anna who entertained the kids while she talked with the officials and adults. If a child would wander to her direction, her long time nanny, Gerda, would scoop the child from the floor and placed the little one back in his or her mother's arms.

Children were a mystery to her; they are loud and messy but when they smiled, there was a warm flutter in her chest and found herself smiling as well. The Guardians of Childhood… she wondered what it could have been if she knew them when she was a child. What if she met Jack then… Elsa walked away from the wall and closed her eyes, tired of the hours that passed after that episode in the mountains.

Maybe Olaf was right, visiting Marshmallow was a wonderful idea and she needed a change of scenery soon. With that, she turned to Olaf and announced, "Let's go to the North Mountain."

* * *

><p><strong>-',-<strong>

"I love the smell of despair and hopelessness in the morning" Pitch started as he breathed in the fear that came from the children. They were placed in a room and all of them where in a deep sleep. Nightmares filled their dreams and soon, Pitch had regained his old army and then some as the fear grew beyond his wildest dreams, how ironic. But what filled him with power was the outside world; half-deranged parents of the missing kids and the overly cautious adults who canceled school activities as they feared that the predator might prey on their own offspring next. But no one was safe from him. With his powerful fearlings and nightmares, the flute of the Pied Piper and soon the supremacy of the Snow Queen at his disposal, who can stop him now?

He looked up to see the graying moon in the dull morning sky and droplets began to fall. The Man in the Moon seemed to weep and it made him smirk. Rainy days will come more often and now, the precious, oh-so-special Guardians were now divided; Jack Frost against the world eh? '_Like old times'_ he thought sinisterly as he stroke Onyx's black sandy mane, "Let's try and see if we can drive them further apart."

* * *

><p>AN: I would like to thank the readers who gave me the time and space to recover. I know you guys have waited for this update and thanks again for those who didn't rush me. sweetangel014, thanks for the sweet thoughts and encouraging message you left in my inbox sorry I wasn't able to reply to you because I wasn't able read all your messages as soon as I wanted to. I intentionally left Tooth and Aron's dialogue in English because I can't translate it in perfect Swedish, some people tend to get nitpick-y and I don't wanna get another headache so soon.

Now, for the reviewers and their questions from Chapter 13:

StormyRebel: I tried to own it… but I think there'll be legal issues xD

HopelessRomantic183:Ahahaha, I liked your review a bit too much! Especially the Final Fantasy bit which I surprisingly can relate to!

maggi. lefay: I hope not, because that would mean that Jack's Elsa's descendant as well! O.O But thank you so much for your well wishes!

First Movement: Yup, all the evidences points at Elsa. Poor girl~

imafangirlforever: Nice guess sweetie :)

AXeIS: Lol, you're right and thanks for the advice, it helped a lot!

VAndreaMars: Aww, it felt nice to read that you've managed to sympathize with the characters and their situations in the story because I fear it fell flat. Hope you liked this one!

DeniseAgron: Who knows, maybe sooner, maybe in the future chapters… maybe never xD

shiver (Guest) : First I made a rough draft of the plot and organize the timeline with what the characters were doing and find a way to stitch it up together. Don't worry about it dear, I had the same problem as you :)

Otakugirl13: I'm surprised it was a small ship but we shall persevere! ehehe

BEASBeth (Guest): Yep ;) I hope you didn't have wait too long

ElsaTheSnowQueen2: You shall see… Or I guess you did xD

electricangel12: Yes, yes it was x3

Thanks also to: Guest (anon), SemiGothicGirl777, Prominis, Maict, Guest (anon)2, IceQueen121 and Choco Vanilla Milk.

My sincerest thanks for the readers who posted their condolences and support, I'm really touched that you guys cared enough for that. I mean, where else would you find a person whom you've never personally met; wish you well and offer an ear (or PM box) to listen to? You guys are the greatest!

Musical2day, The Cynical Nerd, Guest (anon), , isidipi, WickedgreenPhantom, lovinglovexx, Lgkoval, Shashroom, Guest (anon) 2 (I return it with a the big virtual hug!), Fushigi Doll, Static1218, silverwolfighter00, Guest (anon) 3 (Thank you sweetie, that's kind of you), Random (Thank you for understanding dear), JDH1080, MdmeVi (Oh sweetie that's so thoughtful of you. Don't worry I've taken it to consideration. In fact, do you want to make that OC with me to incorporate it in the story?)

AvatarFreak17: I had to separate yours because it was kind of a doozy:

-Thank you for the condolence and I'm sorry for your loss as well.

-What kind words and thanks for pointing out the errors since I usually update it 3 or 4 in the morning and thank goodness they aren't OOC

-Yeah, if only we can turn it to J + E

-Still lived in Surrey, I just visited a friend in Manitoba. But I think I will be in Oslo in the future since I might be going to college there. Anyone from Oslo?

- Immortal. Kidding! I'm already 17 years old. I like The Avatar Saga but I still prefer the original than Korra's saga. I liked Percy and the Olympians and gave me a shock when he became an instant teen in the movie. I'm a solid Percy/Annabeth shipper. The movie of HTTYD since I haven't read the books yet. I adored the song 'Demons' by them and I follow them so I'm guessing an 8. I like a wide variety of music except death metal… I tried to have Tumblr but I'm kinda lost on what to do with it. And lastly, Of course I wanna build a snowman!

And since you've 'release the kraken!' me, here's my gift to all who've been asking me to try and write a Big Four (Plus Elsa) story.

Here's a preview:

* * *

><p>"What are you, a green mutant giant?"<p>

"You've never seen an ogre before? And careful with that smirk of yours coz I'm the Groundskeeper"

"Lad, school's not just for studying!"

"You better watch it red, because I'm gonna take you down!"

"… and after five months of begging and groveling, I decided to take her to Madame Puddifoot's-" "Flynn!"

"It's a dragon's egg!"

"Then you will be in… Gryffindor!"

"You're a distraction Frost"

"Stay away from Elsa you... gray haired person you!"

* * *

><p>You guys can guess who said what here. Let the battle of fandoms begin. But seriously, I dunno whether to stick to the canonical HiccupAstrid or to my other ship which is Merida/Hiccup. It may be posted tomorrow or the next day, or the next day, or the next day, or the next day. Hmmmm… and I made some sketches in deviant art. Just type in fyreandice with deviantart in the search engine and voila! Sorry for the crappy drawings though~

Read and review my sweetlings because I really need your input in this one. NO FLAMES please.


	15. (Un)Conditional

**Finne Min Senter**

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><p><strong><strong>**Chapter Fifteen****  
><strong>**(Un)Conditional**

**-;-**

There were stories of old where unimaginable creatures roamed the deep mountains, mysterious beings that came from the deepest trenches of the ocean and some were covered by the bogs of the most remote places on Earth. There were tales of fairies, imps, ogres and ghouls and for years, they were dismissed as a mere fantasy. But in the Valley of the Living Rock in Arendelle; the trolls were very much real.

Grand Pabbie was an old troll, ancient in fact. He was there when the mountain was born and the rivers rushed from the ground. He was there when the stars sparkled from the skies and the moon shone brightly for the first time. He was there when the Man in the Moon ascended to the skies to watch over the children. Of course, it meant that he was also present when the Nightmare King had the entire world in his clutches.

The bedtime stories that painted them all wrong, although not all trolls were like his clan. There were trolls who had used their magic to harm humans but Pabbie had the wisdom and compassion that placed him above the rest. That's why he revealed himself to humans. They were fascinating creatures; they were innovative and inquisitive. But like everything else, they had a dark side. Greed and pride, along with the fear of the unknown and the isolation of everything different of them, were and always will be their downfall. Most felt that they're entitled to have the luxury of owning the world; unaware that the world they're in were being shared by other inhabitants. Thus, some spirits have made themselves known to humans as well but as time passed, most of them were forgotten.

The kingdom of Arendelle had always held a special place in his heart. The first royal family had given the trolls the recognition as the protectors and guides within Arendelle's territory and asked him for wisdom multiple times. In turn, the trolls will help the royal family in any way they can (if the conditions were for the better for both sides).

It wasn't a strange fact for trolls to see and interact with spirits such as the Man in the Moon though it was Pabbie who he would talk to in human tongue. He knew about the Guardians of Childhood and he, Pabbie himself had caught the eye of the Nightmare King. He had spoken with him once when he sought allegiance with the trolls, but Pabbie had answered that he already sworn his loyalty with the Man in the Moon. Needless to say, it angered Pitch Black. Pabbie was thankful that Pitch wasn't able to discover Arendelle during his visit.

Many centuries passed; on the most silent night in winter when the stars were absent in the sky and the moon was on its fullest (the brightest he had ever witness to this day), the twelfth generation of monarchs had given birth to a princess. The wind had given news that the babe had a fair hair like it was kissed with snow that was mixed with the palest of gold and eyes that were as blue as ice crystals. His children had celebrated the birth of a future queen but there were whispers...

Whispers that the child was unlike any other and he found out why that was so when the king and queen themselves went to their trove and pleaded for his help. When he first laid eyes on Elsa, he knew that she was special. She loved her sister and shared her world with Anna but when Pabbie explained that she must learn to contain it, he saw the pain and sadness in her eyes when he told her Anna was better off unaware of her powers.

When the news reached his ears that the king and queen kept the sisters, especially Elsa, away from other people, sadness ate his heart. The Man in the Moon shared Elsa's sorrow and there were nights the moon hid under the thick veil of clouds. Luckily, Elsa had managed to (mostly) control her powers after that Hans-incident and when he last saw her, which was Anna and Kristoff's wedding, she looked content enough but never truly happy, it was like she locked a part of herself from everyone else.

Tragedy struck and Elsa's health declined. He didn't take offense when Anna screamed and yelled at him for not having the capacity to heal her sister but it was the fact of life. He was not the spirit of life nor death. He was but an elder troll whose magic was powerful but limited.

The impact of her death was damaging to say the least. Anna had refused to come out of her room for weeks and it led Kristoff to beg for some advice from Bulda on how to soothe the Queen Reagent's suffering. Winter was colder than usual and the moon's lights waned.

But everything and everyone had moved on. Kristoff and Anna were wonderful rulers who were fair and the people loved them, regretfully more than they have loved Elsa. No magic in the world was powerful enough to erase the fear and anger in their hearts completely. Though they have forgiven the young queen with the eternal winter mishap; they never forgot the power that she held no matter how much she progressed. And on the very night of Elsa's sixtieth death day anniversary, something remarkable but at the same time terrible happened.

The Man in the Moon had casted a bright light to the west where the mountains touched the heavens and the snow was deep that no man can walk on it. The moon spirit spoke of a name that rattled him out of his cave and rolled to the cliffs to witness a passing snowstorm that was unlike any other.

"Elsa" he muttered.

The other trolls began to resume their original form as well and stared at the sky. Large gales of wind had gathered to where the kingdom was located; a sense of foreboding had left Pabbie questioning on what his long time and usually wise friend planned to do. It was like the fateful Coronation night but the winds had told him that this time, Elsa will never thaw her ice again.

The snowman had rushed to them as fast as his tso small feet could carry him to report the situation with Klaus and his siblings. They asked Pabbie if he can undo Elsa's curse but Pabbie told the crown prince the same thing he told his mother before; it was out of his hands.

The siblings had talked amongst themselves and planned to flee from the frozen wasteland that was once their home. Klaus and Elisabet had decided to take their family to Sweden while Orland took his family to Oslo. The last of the monarchs had vanished; their descendants now scattered around the globe with the forgotten memory of a kingdom by the fjord with a ruler who was kind yet shunned because of her powers.

Of course, Bulda had cried for a full turn of the moon since her 'grandbabies' left her but Pabbie assured his daughter that Kristoff and Anna were watching them like they always did in the past. Klaus told them that they buried their mother's body next to her parents'. Kristoff's remains, upon his own request before he died, were by the tree near the trove, it was the tree he carved his and Anna's initials to after they got married.

Olaf was a frequent visitor and Pabbie was intrigued by Olaf's sturdy form despite the long years. His flurry still puffed out a decent amount of snow and nothing seemed to dampen the spirits of the snowman except when he talked about his 'baby brother' who was constantly waiting for Elsa by the foot of the stairs.

Pabbie slowly blinked and looked out of his cave. It was a brand new day and something out of the ordinary happened. It was quiet. It could only mean two things; either his entire clan was kidnapped, or there was a stranger in their midst. He silently rolled to the hidden opening of his cave and saw a young man walking around the crags and he wore peculiar clothes. Was that what humans were wearing now? It was almost half a century since he last saw a human.

He was wearing a blue shirt with a hood and brown pantaloons and he was barefooted with a shepherd's crook in his hand. Was the lad a shepherd? But there wasn't a sheep nor a lamb on sight.

When he saw the boy's hair; that's when he knew that this one's a spirit. His hair was white like snow, his flesh was paler than a living human's and his energy resonated that of the Man in the Moon's power. He chose him like he had chosen Elsa but at that moment, he wanted to know why a Guardian would be in the lands of Arendelle.

One of the smaller curled trolls that were closest to the boy, his guess was Philip, chuckled audibly when the spirit began to mumble to himself. Everyone stiffened when he turned around with his staff up in a defensive stance. Pabbie unconsciously tightened his grip on his own staff as the stranger's liquid sky eyes scanned the area through, unknowingly, the whole clan of trolls before he bent forward and jumped on the tree with a single bound. Several trolls peeked from their curled forms and watched the stranger stand on the branch and scouted the area.

"Is he looking for something Grand Pabbie?" a young troll asked.

"Indeed he is, little one" Pabbie answered. His eyes trailed after the boy even when the winds swept him from the branches and he disappeared to the direction to North Mountain.

Almost instantly; everyone straightened up from their camouflage and huddled around Pabbie in hopes that he had the answers to their questions but he already knew what was on their minds,

"He is not a threat" he calmly stated.

"Why d'ya think he's doin' here?" a troll with a missing tooth, Yanka asked.

"Grand Pabbie says he's looking for something" Theron answered, his red crystal glowed with his curiosity and excitement; he had never seen someone like that before.

"What's he looking for?" several asked, all looked at him with round curious eyes.

"That, I'm not certain. I have to talk to someone so go on with the day" he advised them before he rolled back in his cave, his yellow crystals glowed bright in the darkness. His friend will have to talk to him sooner or later.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-;-<em>**

"Olaf, slow down" Elsa quietly chuckled as Olaf all but ran through the network of tunnels that connected it directly to the base of North Mountain. Stalagmites poked out of every corner but the pair weren't worried since one can't exactly feel pain and the other would just freeze them completely that they would break by the softest of touch.

"I can't! I'm so excited to see Marshmallow's face when he finds out you're here!" Olaf exclaimed, "What I don't get is why we should walk when we can just fly there."

"Because I don't want to be seen" Elsa answered as she kept her pace slow and easy. Though she shared Olaf's enthusiasm about seeing Marshmallow again, it placed her in a dangerous zone where she could be blindsided by those Guardians. They might be patrolling the skies or somehow sense her walking through a hundred feet of snow.

"Hey I just had a great idea!" Olaf suddenly yelled, almost making Elsa jump at the intensity of the pitch in his voice. "Why don't we sculpt things again? You're real good with ice sculptures!" he praised.

"Maybe some other time" she said, "I have more pressing matters to take care off" _'Like freezing a certain Jack Frost in an iceberg'_ And she will not hesitate to throw Pitch Black in there too. He might credit himself as a persuasive deal-maker but he won't get her to bite that quickly.

But she also berated herself for letting Pitch think that he had successfully recruited her to his side because she had to hide her... condition.  
><em><br>__'Unbelievable!'_ she growled in her mind, _'He was still causing trouble even when he's nowhere near me!'_ She stomped rather hard that a whole section of stalagmites on her left was suddenly covered with ice. She flinched when the ice burst from the air and hit the other objects. She wished Olaf didn't hear any of it and she was relieved to see that he didn't or he just didn't mind. One thing she appreciated him to have for company was not only his silly antics and sunny personality but his unconditional love for the two siblings.

While he would follow Anna (or Sven) anywhere to have some fun or some sort of adventure; there were those extremely rare but memorable times when he would prefer to sit beside Elsa and sometimes talk to her like she wasn't an unstable person who had the ability to freeze everything whenever she wanted to.

But maybe it was a natural reaction; after all, she did create him. Was this 'love' from him under the pretense of sworn loyalty that of a creation with its creator? Elsa hoped it wasn't like that. It would be better if no one ever loved her than forcing them to love her because it was an obligation.

There was that word again, 'Love'. She used it, felt it, embraced it whenever she was with Anna. Was it because they were sisters?

No.

She loved Anna just as much, if not more, as Anna loved her. She accepted her flaws and tried to connect with her as much as she possibly could. They were basically joined to the hip and there was no denying that Anna was Elsa's fun and clumsy counterpart.

Fun...

Elsa's eyelids lowered as she walked even slower; she felt so torn about how she should feel. It was like she cried for a couple of hours straight; her body felt so numb, empty. Except she was also bursting with strong emotions like anger, envy, resentment towards the young man. But there was a smidge of an unnatural feeling in her that refused to budge.

Longing.

She was disgusted with herself.

She had lasted for centuries by herself and she was fine. Two months with him and her whole world was turned upside down, and not in the good way. He made her vulnerable, he made her believe that deep down inside her; she was a lonely girl who just needed someone. He practically forced her to feel again. He betrayed her. The last part was what pained her the most; he was the only one she trusted enough to let him near her and he was the one who turned against her.

"And I thought Pitch was deviant" Elsa whispered as they crossed the last tunnel. The light was harsh and she immediately cupped her eyes to shield it from the intense rays. The sharp scent of ice and the sight of mounds of snow made her feel like she's home again. The mountains were more comfortable than her sleeping chambers and a nostalgic feeling curled in her chest.

Elsa placed her hands out to her sides and snowflakes sprang out of her palms like white and blue explosions. The dredges swirled with the breeze and Olaf chased some of them with his usual goofy smile on his face.

She hummed as a sad smile spread in her lips. Elsa knew that she will have to continue her existence by hiding and this time, it was a way to survive rather than a chosen lifestyle. At least before, she can just come and go anywhere she pleased and though she was really good at covering her tracks, she knew that she have left her mark somewhere.

At least she's with her 'children', she will need them to keep herself sane in this war that she managed to drag herself into. The pain was manageable even with Olaf around plus she can just let her anger flare anytime without thinking about who she might hurt because they were one with her element. Yes, that suited her much better than in a castle waiting for some sort of miracle.

_'I'm not a damsel in distress'_ Elsa reassured herself. Relief flooded in her system when she saw the outline of the stairs that led right to her ice castle. The memory of her freedom rushed in her head; the adrenaline that pumped in her veins, happiness burst through her entire body as she abandoned all inhibitions and raced through the stairs and felt the night air caress her face. What she would give to have freedom again.

"I see something" Olaf said, "It's getting bigger... and bigger... and bigger"

A large shadow appeared from the top of the stairs and the figure shrugged off the large amount of snow and hail. Olaf let off a weird gurgle of laughter and gasp before he raced on the stairs to greet his fellow snowman.

He was already halfway up when Marshmallow jumped from the ledge down to the ground where the earth trembled at his weight. Olaf backpedaled and now raced to the opposite direction and panted, "Whoo, two hundred years and I'm still outta shape!"

Elsa didn't even have the time to react when a huge hand scooped her up and found herself sitting on his shoulder. A loud grumble came from the creature that was like a cat's purr. There were neither tears of joy nor shouts of delight; just a slight curl of her lips upwards and a small nod was enough for Marshmallow. He patted his 'mother's' knees and began to trudge back to the castle. Elsa took a deep breath as she placed her hands on her lap and stared solemnly at her old domain.

It was still standing; of course.

When the large doors opened, she relished the familiar sight and silence and it welcomed her presence as well. Marshmallow lowered her to the floor and watched her move slowly to the very middle of the room.

Elsa's eyes drank in the entire sight of her sanctuary. The storm within her calmed down for a while. She closed her eyes and she lightly stomped on the floor. Transparent ice sprawled against the floor and slithered to the sides. Pillars appeared covered with vines made with ice. Olaf ooh-ed as the ice curled into a flower in full bloom.

"Wow, I wonder how they would smell like" Olaf wondered out loud and proceeded to poke his pine cone nose to it. But there was no scent; it had no sign of life.

Artificial.

No matter how beautiful the stuff she can make with her powers, it didn't matter if it was everlasting because it meant nothing. Somehow the thought made Olaf sad; he was made from her powers as well but that was when she was alive, when she wasn't swallowed up by her powers. He wished she can find a new friend. Having friends were the best.

He turned to Marshmallow and gave a toothy grin, "How are ya Marshy? Good thing you stopped going out of the castle during blizzards or I have to dig you out again" he giggled. Something glistened from Marshmallow's side that caused Olaf to squint at the object.

"Your butt is glittery" he said.

Marshmallow reached for the spot Olaf pointed and pulled out Elsa's old tiara. He made his way towards the young woman and waited for a while before she opened her eyes and turned around to face him.

"What is it Marshmallow?"

Large hands carefully placed something on her head. Elsa almost chuckled at the concentration on his large face. Then she felt something had gotten tangled on the top of her head. Elsa reached up and touched something small and hauntingly nostalgic. She fished it from the brambles of her hair and came face to face with an object of a past she wished she never knew.

"I thought I threw you out" she mumbled angrily at it, "Wherever did you come from...?"

It was meant to be a rhetorical question but never in her existence would she hear Marshmallow say the words, "Man with stick found it."

The sound of the tiara hitting the floor echoed through the whole castle. Olaf gasped when her mouth slackened and her eyes widened. It was like she stopped breathing; figuratively speaking.

"Uh... Elsa?"

He hurried to the frozen queen and waved his stick hands on her face. She managed to snap out of her daze and marched right in front of Marshmallow; her eyes ablaze with anger mixed with something he had never seen before.

"Who?" she growled.

Marshmallow, the snow creature whose appearance and size scared the bravest man out of his pants, stronger than a hundred warriors combined felt so small as his creator glared at him with a scary look on her face.

Her frustration grew every second he didn't answer, "_Who. Was. He_?"

"-not say name..." he answered meekly.

Her hands clenched into fists and with a cry or anger, she threw her hand down in a cutting manner and almost immediately, a large wall of ice appeared and sliced the staircase in half.

Cracks appeared on the floor as Olaf raced to Marshmallow's side as the larger snowman cowered under her rage. Elsa began to pace around and mumbled words under her breath. The ice grew dark and dreary shades of red and purple emerged from the ceiling to the walls.

"Elsa..." Olaf started

"What?!" she shouted, her tone was sharp and frosts appeared out of the air.

"You're scaring us" he answered truthfully.

Olaf's words shook her. Her vision bleared for a second when she opened them again; she saw the fear and confused faces of the ones who were close to her. She messed up again.

"I... I..." she didn't know what to say.

She handled the stares and the passing glance with fear in strangers' eyes. She went through gossips and hushed whispers with grace but as she looked at her two beloved creations with the similar expression of those of the said strangers, she felt shame wash over her.

Was she so determined to numb herself that she was willing to punish those around her? Olaf was trying his best to cheer her up and she was with Marshmallow for no longer than five minutes when she reduced him to stand on the far corner with his head down and flinching.

"Oh I am so sorry" she breathed out and approached them with guilt apparent on her whole visage. Olaf waddled to meet her halfway and held on her hand and when she reached out for Marshmallow, he flinched and took a couple of steps back.

Somewhere inside her, she felt something break as Marshmallow shy away from her hand.

_'Why do you always shut me out?!'__  
><em>  
>Anna's voice resounded in her mind and in return her chest throbbed painfully.<p>

_'Not again'_ she hissed in her mind. Every time things were going well, something will snatch it away or quickly destroyed the momentary happiness. But she didn't, couldn't point a finger to anyone other than herself.

She prided herself on being untouchable, invincible but it was quite foolish of her to think that it was true. The recent events really twisted the way she saw and thought of everything.

And Jack Frost...

She gave a shuddered sigh and tightened her hand over Olaf's. "I'm so sorry" she repeated, "It's just, a lot of things had happened and that person Marshmallow mentioned..."

"He's bad?" Marshmallow quietly asked.

"Yes, he is" she answered though there was a slight hesitation.

"Why he call you 'Sunshine'?" he prodded, his reluctance were clearly forgotten as he moved towards his mother figure.

"I... don't know" she replied, this time she was honest. He just popped oit one day and began to call her that. He had a knack for nicknaming things, she noticed that when they were together.

Reasonably, he did it because she never gave him her name but he could have called her anything else. In her previous life, she had been addressed as Her highness, Your Grace, Your Majesty and even Snow Queen. Anna was the only one who dropped the honorifics and simply called her by her name. And when she got into trouble, which was frequent; she will sweetly call her 'Elsie'.

"Aaw, 'Sunshine' is such a cute name. Is he like Kristoff?" Olaf asked as he swayed his arms like a child.

Elsa pursed her lips, hesitant about touching that sensitive subject for it may result with her lashing out from sheer anger or feel the pain that throbbed in her chest for no viable reason at all.

"He's... different from Kristoff, I think" she said, "I don't really know much about Kristoff except from what Anna had told me. But that 'man with a stick' was infuriating, a delinquent, he had no manners and downright immature". Her voice sounded calm but the tips of her ears were red and her temple twitched in annoyance. She gave in to the urge of pacing and threw her hands out in an expressive manner;

"He never listens to reason, he does and says the most inappropriate things, he treats everything like a game and sometimes he is just so... so... Ugh!"

If she was in her normal mindset, she would've blushed at her behaviour but she released her stress by voicing her agitation with two clueless snowmen.

"-kept asking to have snowball fights, has the emotional and not mention the mental capacity of a child's, asking questions about my past, making snow animals through his frost-"

"He sounds fun!" Olaf interjected, "Hey, can he come over so we can all play together?"

"Absolutely not" she grounded out and placed a hand over her temple to soothe the oncoming headache, "He was the I told you to stay away from. As well as from anyone else who're looking for me."

"I don't get it, why?" Olaf asked, his face bright with innocent curiosity while Marshmallow just watched her cross her arms and a stern look shadowed on her face.

"There were a series of child kidnappings and somehow these spirits who call themselves 'The Guardians' had accused me of doing such things."

Olaf gasped inaudibly as Elsa continued, "They'd located my previous hiding place and now I have to stay in Arendelle-"

"Wait," Olaf interrupted, "You came back... because they found out your hiding place?"

"Yes, exactly. Now I have to think of a way to get them off my back and-"

"So, you came back because it's your only choice?"

Elsa stopped her rant and her face fell when she heard Olaf's heartbroken tone. Olaf sat on the steps while Marshmallow was on the floor and his face mirrored Olaf's sad expression.

"Oh Olaf. I didn't mean it like that... It's just..."

"What was the reason that you have to leave us?" he asked, his normally happy person was dragged off and another Olaf came out.

Her hands shook and she rubbed her forearm in a defensive gesture, "It's not that I wanted to leave you forever, I wish I could make you understand. It's not that simple."

"But we could've helped you if you just asked. We didn't need a good reason if you told us it's for the best. We missed you. Marshmallow and I waited for years..." Olaf's voice lowered like he was talking to himself, his gaze were on the floor as he reminisced the loneliness he felt throughout the years with only Marshmallow and the trolls for company.

The wall has been breached.

She tried and failed yet again to construct an impenetrable wall where the emotions were locked away. It was an impossible feat; to be unfeeling, to be cold... to be more like Pitch Black. The very thought had left a very bitter taste on her tongue. She walked to Olaf as shame covered her entire being this time, it drowned her. Did she honestly think that they were happier with her absence? Olaf lifted his eyes from the ground and looked straight in her own.

"You're lonely too" he simply remarked. Without any hesitation; he took her hands in his and offered her a heartwarming smile.

"Don't worry Elsa. We'll protect you" he vowed. She grimly smiled as she looked at her goofy and somewhat clumsy old friend and her gigantic bodyguard who could barely utter a complete sentence.

"Hey I think we can solve your problem!"

Olaf's voice was a pitch higher, excitement fueled his sudden activeness. Elsa had to inwardly laugh at the simplicity of his words. Really, he made it seem like it can be resolved by simply talking to them and explain that it was all a big misunderstanding. But surely Olaf knew better than that.

"Alright, what do you suggest we should do?"

"We'll go and talk to these Guardian guys and tell them that it wasn't you!" he answered with a triumphant gleam in his eye. Elsa stared at him and sighed; it seemed Olaf didn't know any better.

"Olaf..." she started

"No no no!" he explained, "Let's pretend that they think that you took those kids-"

"They already do" she grumbled

"Atta girl Elsa, you're really good at pretending! Now, we'll just invite them in, you know, have a couple of tea and cookies and say that you're not the kidnapper!"

* * *

><p><strong>-;-<strong>

"What are we gonna say to her, 'Since you're the only suspect we got, we're gonna imprison you until Frost gets back and tells us everything'?!" Bunnymund groaned at North as he crossed his arms.

Little elves were scrambling to fetch North his usual two platters of cookies and some carrots for their grumpy guest. The Guardian of Wonder grunted as he observed the lights on the globe; Tooth and Sandy were on the lookout for anything that might have something to do with the kidnapper or the young woman while he and Bunnymund discussed about their new 'strategy'.

"It's been almost a week and still no word from him, y'know what I think? I think that hoon's keeping 'er from us!" he accused as he leaned the wall and tightened his grip around his boomerang.

"We already discussed this Bunny" North sighed, "Jack knows it's best if we all collect our bearings and bring Snow Queen to clear air."

"Well she's not gonna come quietly, I'll tell ya that much's true" the large rabbit snorted, "That Sheila's got a temper of a rattlesnake, could'a sliced my head off!"

"Ah, but she didn't" North pointed out with misplaced cheerfulness in his voice as he played with the hilt of his scabbard.

Bunnymund made a choking sound as he unpeeled himself from the wall and rounded on North, "So now she's funny?! North, thirty-three kids went missing for less than two months and so far we have was a girl with ice powers, a Guardian who went AWOL and now Tooth's talking about Katherine's grandson! Look, I know we have to figure this out but standing here and doing nothing will make things worse!"

North gave a huff as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "Bunny, I know you're itching to have some action but we have to think it through! Jack is only one who knew her. I say we should-"

"Forget it! If you won't take action, then I will."

Before North can say a word, Bunnymund had already thumped his foot on the ground and jumped down to his Warren.

The large man threw his hands up in exasperation and stomped to his office to steam off. Unbeknownst to him and the other occupants of the Workshop; a distinct shadow swiftly glided from wall to wall with an outlined smile.

_'Oh this keeps better and better! I don't think I have to lift a finger after all!'_

The sounds of the toy train's engine and the whirring of an aeroplane's blades were less effective in relaxing North's temper as he entered his office. He sat on his chair and leaned his entire frame on it as he stared out of his window. Not too long ago he was talking to Jack about being too close to Jamie and now the young guardian was out there looking for the mysterious snow woman and half of the group was divided on what to do.

And with the new information Tooth had shared with them, things got a bit complicated. Tooth, Sandy and he himself welcomed the option of having some support from a human but Bunny also gave an understandable case of keeping their world a secret from humans. Regardless whether he was related to their former comrade or not.

Bunnymund may be strict but he went through some difficult events that even North himself can't handle. What happened with Nightlight... it seemed that Bunny took it more badly than he had let on. It's not like the Guardian of Hope didn't want anything to do with humans; he just didn't like to be blindsided.

Soft tinkling of bells jilted him out of his stupor so he looked down and saw an elf munching on a sugar cookie. The creature stopped its chewing and opened its mouth. Chunks of the cookie fell on the carpet and it giggled sheepishly before it raced out of the room. North sighed and stared at the various toys; he was at a loss.

"Manny, what must we do?"

A faint beam of moonlight found its way through his window and slithered to him.

A soft, paternal voice of one he longed to hear finally spoke with his instructions,

_"Wait, for help is coming."_

* * *

><p><strong>-;-<strong>

Snow, snow, ice, a reindeer, snow and, surprise, more snow. Jack may have the power over it but he's too sick of seeing it all the time. He needed to see other colours besides white and now he found himself sailing through what was supposed to be the part of a body of water. He avoided a huge mass of a a ship and blinked when a dock came to his view. He landed on the wooden boards and walked on the path before he came through the mouth of a large kingdom. To his amazement and mystification, everything was covered with ice. From a small discarded brick to the stalls and houses which he hoped was empty. He wasn't too keen on seeing a human popsicle after all.

He licked his chapped lips as he walked to the square. Behind the fountain, he spotted a broken statue of a person with frozen flowers on the foot of the marble statue. All that was left of the statue was the lower half of a woman with her dress intact on her pedestal.

"Where am I?" he asked to himself. He looked around and all he could see was ice and houses. 'What happened here?' he continued his exploration to another stone path which led to closed gates. He knocked on it twice, just trying his luck whether there was someone in there or not. When there was no answer (shockingly), he took it upon himself to push it open. Despite the thick ice that covered it; it easily budged and he was welcomed with a frozen courtyard where the grass were painted white and their blades were sharp. The trees were bare and they looked like clawed hands.

In front of him was a large stone castle where the windows were frosted to their bolts, ice had sprawled like vines and squeezed themselves on every crevice.

"Let me guess... Sunshine did the decorating" Jack said plainly. Bu he didn't go in; he didn't know what to do exactly. How should he face her? What will he do? What will SHE do?

He wanted to talk to her, explain everything but what if she won't listen? They didn't part in a good way and she firmly believed that he snitched on her. C'mon, she should know better than to think he was a snitch; it's like being a teacher's pet or something like that.

"Should've brought Snow Cone with me" he grumbled.

There was sound that came from the inside. Jack slipped into the castle and hid behind a pillar. A dark figure loomed in the corridors, completely out of place with the palace that gleamed with crystals. The figure turned to his direction and he hid further behind the pillar, shaking his head for a second and took a peek back and realized it was gone.

"What-"

"Well well, look what we have here. I wasn't expecting company"

Jack glared and readied his staff. Blue bolts enveloped the tip of his staff, ready to strike with his will. Pitch Black, however, just stood next to the armour made of iron with his hands on his back,

"Fancy seeing you here Frost. Are you... looking for something?"

**-;-**

* * *

><p>AN: That's it for now. So I guess you guys are a bit busy and that's alright. But I'm gonna be really fast on updating now since I put my college days on hold, maybe for a semester or a year because I can't have stress right now.

I'm scheduled to have a flight to visit my great grandmother in the Philippines so anyone who lives there, care to suggest good tourist spots?

Anyway, I'd love to know how you've received my characterization of Marshy and Olaf? What about the development?

I'd like to thank the following for their reviews of the last chapter:

ElevenWhovian

dolphin 22: The very first chapter. Simply, she died of an incurable illness, specifically, I made it more of the symptoms of Tuberculosis.

Guest (anon) : I'm sorry but what do you mean by which room was she attacked? In the 14th chapter? or any other chapter because she wasn't attacked on the Liaisons chapter

AvatarFreak17

imafangirlforever: Thanks sweetie, nice to hear from you again!

zulka

MdmeVi: ok, just pm me sweetie and we can get started. I hope you won't mind spoilers though

Maict: Yep, she's in the book along with Nightlight. Well, it's still a bit far from the climax and I think the story will reach about 25- 30 chapters in all. And no your English is fine. I mean, I'm a native English speaker and I still get errors here and there xp

So, that's it now I have to go and eat my breakfast :) Hope to get positive notes from you guys.

**PS**: If you guys got weirded out about the people not really loving Elsa in the story, it's because I used a realistic point of view. I mean, I don't think the villagers will be accept her a hundred as a person (not as a queen) since she had powers and she DID sink Arendelle in eternal winter. And even if they didn't hate her, there will always be nay-sayers, . . they did try to kill her for heaven's sake


	16. Discoveries

**Finne Min Senter**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen<strong>

**Discoveries**

* * *

><p><strong>-;-<strong>

Before Pitch could finish his question, he ducked to dodge the surge of blue lightning from Jack's staff. The guardian gave a satisfied smirk when his frost managed to land on the edge of Pitch's robe and began to solidify its way up. Pitch uttered a curse and tried to shake off the ice when he advanced to the distracted spirit with his staff raised above his head.

When he struck down, Pitch was already on the other side of the room, his face was calm and his eyes glowed against the dark hallway;

"Really, am I not free to roam again?" he asked.

Jack tightened his grip on his staff and leered at the Nightmare King, "If you want to take a walk then go find a park. I wanna know why you're here."

_'Right where Snow Cone said Sunshine will be'_ he added in his mind.

The entire place was frozen. The chandeliers that were above them were already in the process of falling but somehow they were caught in their mid-fall with a thin patch of ice that was connected to the high ceiling. Like something had frozen them the moment they were about to collapse on the floor. Each furniture was covered with thick ice and most of the portraits were faded out with moisture and age.

"I don't see why I'm not allowed in this place. It's abandoned and unclaimed therefore I'm free to do whatever I want in here" Pitch replied, "And you have no right to be here more than me"

Jack straightened himself but his staff was still aimed at Pitch, ready to strike at any moment. "How did you find this place?" he asked.

"Aren't you a nosy worm? You're not the type who would go into abandoned kingdoms and empty towns, unless you're looking for something which leads me back to my original question; what are you looking for?"

"Hey I'm the one asking questions 'round here" he grounded, "You're walking around like you've been here before and I know you had something to do with the recent kidnappings". Jack's eyes narrowed as Pitch walked to the other side of the hall with a bored expression,

"What I do in my leisure time is none of your business Frost" Pitch drawled out in an uninterested air.

A touch of anger bubbled in Jack's chest that threatened to drown him in the abyss. It wasn't that long time ago Pitch had plagued the world with his ambition to cover the entire Earth with fear and force everyone to believe him. The tale of the Boogeyman was as real as the sun in the sky but he was even more deadly than in the stories.

"It's my business if it's endangering the kids" Jack answered, "The kidnapping was too big to be caused by a human and you're the only sleazy slime ball who will do something like that!"

"Oh? And _(if)_ I was the perpetrator, what evidence do you have against me? I would have taken you on personally if that was the case; I still haven't forgotten that episode we had in Burgess" Pitch hissed; the hallway grew darker as the shadows began to devour every corner.

"I like this place" he added as he flattened his palm against the frozen wall, "So full of fear, hopelessness and grief, it feels like it housed someone like me. But, of course, I will be the cause of all that fear."

Jack opened his mouth for a retort but he saw something move by the corner of his eye. He jumped backwards and quickly scanned the area before he turned to Pitch, "What are you up to?"

Pitch gave a mocking laughter as he threw his head back and placed his hands on his stomach, "Do you think I'm just going to tell you anything just because you demanded me to? Oh Jack Frost, so gullible, so naive, how... childlike of you." He placed his arms behind him, "Now I'm really curious on your objective. But if you must really know what I've been doing, I was merely catching up with a friend of mine."

"Like you have any friends" Jack scoffed, "Stop playing mind games Pitch, I haven't got all day"

"My, I thought you loved games. And I do have one actually, but she's more of an old acquaintance of mine" Pitch said, completely unaffected by the tense atmosphere since he provided it himself. There was a glimmer in his eye when Jack's grip on his staff tightened at the mention of the word "she".

He didn't like where this was going...

"And who's that?" he carefully asked.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up when Pitch gave a chilling smirk that secretly promised horrifying things to come, but he stood his ground and he felt the intensity of his power radiate to his staff.

"I don't think you would know her" Pitch waved off, "She's a rather elusive thing; hated the presence of others in her territory."

Jack felt his lips pull back for a snarl and a voice in the back of his head told him that without a doubt, it was the same woman he'd been looking relentlessly for. And for Pitch to talk about her so easily... it was like she knew about the Nightmare King himself. A dark thought formed in his mind that whispered that they could be accomplices but he quickly banished it as fast as it came.

No way, no way was Sunshine working together with this guy...

"And regarding those... unfortunate events" the man continued, "I'm honestly grateful for the one who did that, I had never felt this much fear since the Dark Ages."

Jack let out a cry of anger and charged right to his foe with his staff above his head and slammed it hard on the floor. Almost immediately, an explosion of frost and lightning swerved through the thick ice and threw Pitch to the farthest wall.

Pitch made a choking sound and threw his hand up; black sands protected him from the impact and he quickly bounced back with a large war hammer in hand.

"Whoa!" Jack exclaimed as he jumped back, barely dodging the large object that darted to his head. He knocked over a suit of armor; a grunt of pain escaped his lips when his back connected on the rather hard edge of its shoulder. Pitch continued his attack by swinging the hammer around while Jack dodged and jumped out of its reach. He caught the head of the hammer with the crook of his staff and upon contact; the black sand was frozen into needles of ice.

Pitch cursed as he dropped the hammer and raised his arms out. Darkness swallowed the whole room; shadows played the shapes of hunched figures with long clawed fingers slowly crept to his prone form.

Jack felt that his hands and feet were too heavy to move, like they were being weighed down. It was fear, and he wasn't pig-headed enough to not know that icy grip that clenched his insides and slowly drown him into the dark pool of confusion and uncertainty. He had been there before... and it was coming back for him.

_'Fight back!'_

The voice inside his mind yelled, tried to make him regain his senses but the darkness grew bigger and darker right in front of his very eyes. Jack's breathing took in a shallow rhythm; his frost slowly retreated and the air seemed to slowly choke him.

But before the first shadow creature can even touch him, a burst of blue light sparked around him. With an eerily disembodied voice of an unknown person; a harsh white light blazed around him and illuminated the whole castle, escaping from every crevice and openings.

Jack clenched his eyes shut from the intensity and slowly opened them again with spots in his vision. Pitch was on the farthest side of the hall; the ends of his robe were frayed and the shadows were gone.

Thin smoke came from the shadow man and Pitch was clearly unamused with the sudden interjection. "It seems we're not alone..." the dark man whispered harshly.

As soon as the words slipped from Pitch; Jack looked around wildly for any trespasser or hopefully Sunshine had come to his aid. But there was only him and Pitch, no one else. Jack stood up and his eyes caught the scorched marking on the ice before it ate away the blemish and levelled itself back.

"Pity" Pitch started, causing Jack to reposition himself into a defensive stance, "To think I was blindsided by you once... well, I guess I overestimated you."

When he began to shrink back into the shadows, Jack bounded to him and roared,

"You're not going anywhere until you give the kids back!"

Pitch reappeared on the opposite side with his back on Jack, "I'm not the only thing you should be worried about Frost. There is something far more... terrifying at work. And you, the Guardians and your precious brats won't be able stop it like last time."

Something in Pitch's tone made him bristle; like it was some kind of threat-

"There's a storm coming"

That was all Pitch said before he vanished into the darkness and the whole area immediately lit up as the sun's rays were able to infiltrate the castle again. Thousands of thoughts raced in his brain; the missing kids, his fellow Guardians, Jamie, Sunshine, Pitch, the confusing events... everything. He felt like he was given such a heavy burden in an instant. This wasn't him, he wasn't one to worry about heavy things... that was the complete opposite of his essence, his center.

Was that why Pitch was able to overpower him?

But what the heck happened back there?

A voice... he heard it from before but he's not sure where and when. And the way Pitch quickly backed off; something was up. But the cryptic message Pitch had parted with, it was more of a warning than an idle threat. Pitch was wrong about one thing though, there's no storm that Jack Frost can't handle.

* * *

><p><strong>-;-<strong>

Elsa had always been practical. She may have been the queen of a kingdom once upon a lifetime ago but she had always been so reasonable, down-to-earth and liked to do things rather than order someone to do it for her. She knew she wasn't built for luxury; sure she liked pretty things as much as any other woman do but she'd rather go out and travel to other places rather than to stay inside the castle being waited from hand to foot.

_'You'll be the queen and I'll be your right hand. I'll tell everyone about my sister and the magic she can do!'_

They made a promise to each other when they were kids, so blissfully unaware of the burden that was shackled with the title of a monarch. Anna had always been a resourceful one; she braved the mountains and even managed to save everyone, especially Elsa, from the fear that was rooted in her heart. But their dream to travel vanished as soon as Elsa formally received the title of 'The Twenty-first Queen of Arendelle, first of Her name.' While Anna was free to go wherever she pleased, Elsa was stuck in the council room where her only companions were the royal advisors and the concerned third parties.

But she had taken in the responsibility with her head held high and never complained; Anna was the one who had took that privilege and because of that, she was booted out of the meetings unless Elsa asked for her specifically. Maybe being queen had molded her to be a fair and wise but it made her wonder if those qualities was truly her own identity, not because she was taught to be like that.

She had always prided herself to be a reasonable woman and now she was questioning her sanity by catering to Olaf's suggestion with talking to the Guardians. The snowman, no matter how well-meant he was being, was clearly naive. Even when she recounted the event where she fought with them as they hurled out accusations to her and how they drove her out of her previous dwelling, he was still convinced that they will listen to reason.

And she was foolish enough to believe him though unwilling. She had run out of options other than hiding in her castle and stay there for a millenium. Joining Pitch was out of the question as well; she could hardly stand him in the same room, much less in the same faction. But if she sided with the Guardians; she will be dragged into the war since Pitch will see her as an enemy and that also meant that she will come in contact with Jack Frost.

The anger within her had somewhat calmed but every time she remembered what he had, apparently, did... she just wanted to freeze him and do the same thing she did with her mirror. Anger, resentment, self-loathing... was that all she had left?

Maybe...

If it would make her invincible then so be it.

No more distractions.

Olaf and Marshmallow were there for her before this hell dropped on her lap and they were still with her even in her darkest hour. They're the only ones who can get close to her without fearing her onslaught.

Olaf's voice carried from the base level of the castle up to her balcony. As soon as she opened it, the soft breeze caressed her face and she felt an unusual sense of anticipation when she placed her hands on the railing. The sun had started to set. Orange and purple hues played on the sky and the flock of birds flew in a triangular shape.

She then remembered Fluff.

Where was the little bird? How was it doing? Was it even still alive? Is it with...

Elsa slowly closed her eyes and turned her back against the railing and slid down to the ground with her legs folded underneath her. With a heavy sigh, she looked up and watched as the first of the stars had begun to make themselves known.

_'What would Anna do?'_

A sudden twist in her chest made her mouth twitch but she pushed the pain down and continued to wonder what her headstrong sibling would do in her situation. Her tolerance for pain had strengthened and she had begun to learn on how to ignore it as well.

"What should I do?" she asked herself.

She wished someone would just appear to her and tell her what to do next. She had never felt so lost in her entire existence; she was more like a scared little girl than a two hundred and twenty-three year old spirit who can control ice and drop the temperature below freezing point. A spirit who can make a blizzard when her mood suited her and evoke an avalanche whenever she wished. But underneath that... she didn't even know who she really was.

_'Penny for your thoughts?'_

Elsa's eyes shot open and she instantly stood up with her hands in front of her in defense. There was no one there but herself. Olaf and Marshmallow were still downstairs and there wasn't a living creature for miles. It wasn't the lack of visual presence that irritated the senses out of her but rather the voice of someone that she wanted out of the picture. Someone infuriating, bright and suggested mischief.

It irked her. He had been flitting in and out of her mind and she was foolish enough to consent her mind into believing such trickery. Had she truly believed that he had cared for her wellbeing?

_'Stupid girl'_ she mocked herself, _'When have you even let yourself depend on someone for help? You're strong, you're intelligent, and you can stand up and go through this. You've grown soft because you spent too much time with a spirit who knew nothing of himself and never had a problem with controlling his emotions.'  
><em>  
>It was true.<p>

If she met up with herself prior to three months earlier, that Elsa would have shook her head in disappointment and froze her into a statue with a sneer on her lips and disgust in her eyes.

She placed a hand against the side of her face and pressed the tips of her fingers on her temple. There were so many things that happened around her and she didn't even know where to begin. She was so desperate for a path to follow that Olaf's plan started to sound doable; but there lay the problem.

Would they exercise restraint if she would come to them willingly or will they wipe her out of the face of the Earth if given the chance?

But there was a slight chance that they might actually listen; they were desperate to find some answers and she was more than eager to get them off her back and clear her name. If there was no path for her to follow, then she will just have to make her own; she's not some disgraceful damsel-in-distress who would just wait in a tower and wait for prince charming to save her. She was the Snow Queen, a spirit who controlled snow and ice. She's eternal, unwavering and untamed. Even if she wasn't invincible as she once thought she was but she's still tough.

With a strengthened resolve, she straightened herself and looked at the pearly outline of the moon as the skies darkened to welcome the night,

"I'm not someone you can control. I follow my own path."

As if it responded, the light from the moon waned as it landed on her. Elsa turned around and walked out of her chambers down to the stairs to where Olaf and Marshmallow had settled.

The two snowmen were talking but it was more of a one-sided conversation as Olaf babbled on and on about random things and Marshmallow struggled to keep up with the fast pace he'd set.

"Olaf" she stated aloud, which earned the attention of the two, "I need you to come with me."

* * *

><p>"So we're just gonna have to look for a Guardian and talk to them right?"<p>

"Yes" Elsa answered curtly as she squinted her eyes through the thick curtain of snow. She and Olaf were travelling back to her old hiding place under the guise of a stray snowstorm.

"Where are we going?" Olaf asked loudly as he held on tightly on her dress.

"To my old hideout, I need to look for something" she answered, her hair whipped in different directions as they sped through the sky.

She felt Olaf's twig fingers poke a hole on her cape but it didn't matter, it will just repair itself; what concerned her were the words that came out of his mouth the very next second,

"I think something's following us!"

"What-"

Something small and white flew right in front of them and it exploded with a flash of light that blinded her. A second of distraction had caused Elsa to stop their flight and found herself falling to the ground with Olaf screaming his head off as the sections on his body fell apart in midair with white explosions surrounded them.

With her thoughts berating her poor foresight, she made a scooping motion and a cocoon of ice encased them for protection but an array of explosions continued; denting and slowly destroying the shield. Elsa blinked for a couple of times to refocus her eyes before she stood up in the middle of the cocoon and clapped her hands together. A thundering roar echoed and the sides of the cocoon dissolved and molded themselves into ice daggers. She threw her hands to the side then slammed her hands down, the daggers followed her movement and soon, they shot down to the earth.

Olaf peeked from the edge of the floating snow cloud and saw the ground glisten like stars as the ends of the dagger stuck out of the snow. He then saw a hole appear from out of nowhere and something jumped out of it. It's-

"Hey a _bunny_!"

As soon as Olaf exclaimed it, his head fell off as the whistle of something sharp sliced through him. His name flowed from Elsa's lips as she took a step to save her old friend when a cloud of gold covered her sights.

"Impossible!" she gasped as she slowly fell to her knees. Her body felt so heavy and the need to close her eyes was too great. To give in to sleep was tempting but she knew that she had to fight it, she had to save Olaf and keep them away from Marshmallow and Arendelle even if it they were already miles away from the territory.

She and Olaf went out to find the Guardians, and it turned out that it was they who found them. Her mind was still coherent enough to analyze what was happening around her; a small golden man that was covered with sand came up to her with a sincere apologetic look on his face and he carefully lifted his arms. Bars appeared around her and the ice beneath them had already began to dissolve. He looked down and gave a thumb's up to someone unseen then he jumped on the air and a shape of a strange creature with large wings appeared and as he took flight, she finally gave in to a dreamless slumber.

* * *

><p>Voices.<p>

Amidst the increasingly annoying tinkle of bells were suppressed voices that were coloured with anger. With a burdened groan, Elsa propped herself by her elbows and looked around the new environment. The noises came from the opposite side of the large oak doors; no doubt they were locked on the same side too.

The room was small and it looked homely enough but she was placed in a cell made with glass walls and it took up almost half of the room which was decorated with garlands and tinsel, it was safe to say that they didn't intend to harm her... not just yet anyway.

"Mnnn..." she placed a hand on her head as she sat up and leaned on the glass. The wall felt different and the longer she leaned on it, the more she felt drained. Panic began to fill her body and the ice started to form but curiously, they didn't fill the whole cell but only the space that was occupied by her body. She gave the floor an experimental tap with the heel of her foot.

Her snowflake appeared but it stayed under her foot, it didn't spread out as it normally did. She pursed her lips and held out her hand and positioned it towards the wall, intending to freeze it until it breaks. But all that came out of her palms was a thick icy mist.

"What sorcery is this?!" she hissed in outrage.

The sound of footsteps alerted her as well as the voices that grew louder with each step. Elsa slowly stalked back with her hands clenched; she was exposed. Defenseless and weak.

Locks were being opened and a large thump that suggested that a wooden bolt was placed on the floor. The door flew open and a large muscular bearded man entered, yelling loudly with an overgrown rabbit whose whiskers were curling with anger.

It was the Guardians.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-;-<em>**

North was torn. On one hand, he was delighted that his comrades had found the 'Snow Queen' so they can get some information but at the same time, he was furious. Sure it wasn't his place to tell someone off about kidnapping someone they needed but it didn't with their situation. Bunny raged on about how they could just force her to spill out what she knows but with the way they... escorted her to their base, she might be quite unwilling to share what she knew.

"You're all 'We gotta think this through', bah, you of all people know that actions first thinking later North! Now you suddenly flexed your 'sage' muscle?" Bunny growled as he smushed his paw against his face.

"I'm not saying you were wrong but we have to be delicate! Hear me? _DELICATE_!"

North continued to mumble words in Russian while Tooth and Sandy tailed them with worried faces. The female Guardian sighed deeply and chose to turn her attention to their 'guest'.

The Snow Queen stared at them with ire in her blue eyes, her hands was poised to attack but Tooth knew that the woman was already aware of her disadvantage. North was a genius inventor and though the barrier he made with fairy dust didn't supress her magic altogether, it did the job accordingly. Jack was still a no-show but North assured them that their friend will return.

Finally, North took a deep breath and walked to the transparent cell where the woman glowered at them like a cornered animal. He tried to soften his eyes but his sheer size was threatening enough. Normally he liked to intimidate people but he didn't want her to snap.

"Please, tell us, do you know something- anything about kidnappings?" His voice was thick and he was tired. Snow Queen's face was defiant but he saw her eyes soften as she placed her hands on her lap;

"I have nothing to do with this mess" she simply said.

"Then, how did you get that doll?" Tooth asked kindly, "Please, if you know anything... anything that can help us get a step closer to save them."

The woman peered into her eyes. Blue clashed with purple and they both found sincerity in them but as soon as the Snow Queen blinked; it was like she was looking through a frosted window.

The woman turned to North and blankly said, "I will answer your questions to the best extent of my knowledge but only if it concerned the kidnappings."

Bunny made a choked sound indignation while Sandy gave an audioless sigh. North, however, nodded and crossed his arms. "Very well, let's start in beginning. How did you meet Jack Frost?"

It was then that Toothiana saw it. A chink in her cold armour; a sudden twitch on her lips and a light flashed in her eyes indicated some type of emotion other than indifference but before she could analyze what that was, the Snow Queen blunty stated,

"I won't answer that. I told you I will only answer questions that will clear my name."

At that, Bunny scoffed and placed his paws on his side, "We're wasting time here. Clearly she's hiding something and I bet that icy pole had something to do with it, doesn't he Shiela?" he glowered.

"Stop it-"

"Not so high 'n mighty now are ya?" he taunted, all too aware the scathing look that North shot right to his face.

"Ask a different question before I lose my temper" she bit back, her eyes still bore at North. Her hands were shaking and it caught the attention of Sandy who moved closer to the barrier upon instinct.

"_Feh_" Bunny slammed his foot on the floor and a large hole appeared, "Enough of this, I'm gonna go back to me warren. Call me back when you got real answers" and with that, he jumped down with a stern glare to the Snow Queen.

"I have a question for you" the Snow Queen said softly.

"What is it?"

"Where's my snowman?"

* * *

><p><strong>-;-<strong>

Jack walked hall after hall after hall. It was an endless labyrinth of rooms and he still haven't found Sunshine. Could it be that Snow Cone tricked him? Nah, the fellow was more of a rough n' tumble kind rather than playing mind games. He enter a large room full of pictures that were all blurred out and a grandfather clock with its pendulum missing but like always, he didn't find what he was looking for.

He trudged out and looked at the grand staircase. The steps were small and they looked like a pain to climb on so he just hopped up four steps at a time and within a few seconds he was on the top flight.

To his amazement, there was another staircase but this time it was a winding spiral case. An idea popped into his head; it's been a while since he had done this but the place looked perfect. Jack jumped on the rail and tapped his staff against the ice covered wood. Suddenly, he was already halfway across the stairs as the wind pushed him up and his frost slowly covered the dark ice. It felt great, liberating to have fun even after all the problems that piled up.

He steadily grew bored at the silence and the gloominess of the environment. Some of the rooms were locked but a single door with white paint that was peeling off was slightly ajar. With cautious footing, he prodded his staff against the door and pushed it forward to reveal a bedroom with a canopy bed on the middle and a balcony that was covered with heavy curtains. A small table with two armchairs rested on the corner and on that table was a wooden board that was faced down. Out of curiosity, he lifted the board to reveal a freckled girl, maybe sixteen or seventeen, with hair tied to two side plaits and a bright smile on her face. A very familiar face... Jack's own eyes widened; he wildly looked around the room and found a study desk, like everything else, it was frozen.

But he was undeterred as he grabbed a knob and tried to pull it out but it was frozen solid as well. He searched the room to look for even a shred of clue who that girl in the picture was. Then he remembered a valuable piece of information that was stored in his mind; Tooth had access to every single child's memory since the beginning of time and if he can somehow convince her that it will help the investigation...

It was wrong, he was planning to lie to his friend for personal gain but his curiosity was overwhelming and maybe he can finally put the pieces together and figure out the mystery that shrouded Sunshine. _'Just this once'_ he muttered to himself,_ 'Let me do something for myself just this time.'_

There was something in that room that had some kind of pull on him. The place gave him a morose atmosphere like the trench he was thrown to for a moment in Antarctica. Lately things had been out of control, it was like someone was toying with them.

If what Pitch said was really true and there's a bigger threat, then he will have to follow his fellow Guardians' ways and forget about Sunshine. It was unfair; it will always come down with the choice. And he didn't want to choose. He walked back to the table and took the photograph with both hands and carefully unlatched the hook to release the clasp that held the picture in the middle. He quickly placed the photo in his pocket and looked at the sky through the balcony.

With a deep breath, he walked out through the balcony and hopped on the ledge. The frozen kingdom that was hidden from the modern world. Not a single soul can be found and everything was covered with ice that was cold, even for him. No doubt in his mind... Sunshine had frozen everything in this area.

But why?

He shook his head; he came here for some answers and all he got was a heap of more questions. Any second his head's gonna explode.

"I wonder how Jamie's doing" he asked himself as he stared into the void. The way he took off had hurt him more than anything else in the world. He didn't want his best friend to be afraid of him and he had shown his darker side that he didn't even know.

'It was all her fault!' the immature side of him enraged. She made him realized that he had an uglier, meaner persona that he never knew existed. In a way, she pushed him to bring out the worst in him; sure he's not Mr. Goody Two Shoes but he's nowhere near Pitch's level, that's a whole 'nother level of crazy that he wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.

Maybe he could visit Jamie; it might calm him down a bit before he can go to Tooth's place and get some answers. But he didn't know if he could even look at the boy in the eyes because of what happened the last time.  
><em><br>'You're a coward Frost'  
><em>  
>He kicked down his foot on the ledge and within a few seconds, he was soaring through the clouds en route back to Östersund. The forests down below were a mix of white and green specks and if he squinted hard, he can see a herd of reindeers down by a rushing river. The land must've looked great in spring or summer now they're stuck in eternal winter. He flew lower to the bare path where a scene of glitter caught his eyes. Was there a diamond mine around these parts?<p>

Down he flew; inch by inch he saw that they weren't diamonds but rather icicles that were stuck haphazardly on the ground. He touched the ice and the cold shot to his hand like tiny needles pricked his skin. Normal ice didn't affect him like that; they had the same temperature after all.

"Sunshine..." he muttered.

The way she planted these icicles, it was like she was fighting with something, or someone. He cautiously walked through the sticking death traps and found something moving.

Something brown, long... and it's moving right to his direction. Hastily, he pointed his staff in a threatening posture but it scuttled to him with its three short 'legs' and before he knew what happened, he felt something on his shoulder. Another brown thing held on to his hoodie and he gave a strangled,

"Ga-aaah!"

He tripped backwards to the ground and tried to push the thing from his clothes. _"What is that thing?!"_ he bellowed as he managed to throw it near its counterpart. Then, the bizarre things began to crawl through the ice. Something bulky popped out with three twigs on top of it. And a pair of large eyes blinked straight at him.

"Um... hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs! Well- I can't really have a hug right now since my body's all over the place. So... hi!"

Okay, maybe Snow Cone wasn't the weirdest thing that happened to him... so far. The disembodied head bounced to his feet and it spoke, "Can you please make a body for me? Nothing fancy, but I do like to be taller, being short doesn't really make my life easy y'know?" Jack didn't say anything but just tilted the tip of his staff up; two perfectly rounded snowballs as big as the head appeared. The 'snowman' gave a small 'Yay!' as the brown things, that turned out to be his arms, attached themselves in one section and proceeded to put itself together, much to his amazement.

"Wow I've never seen anyone do any ice magic other than-" he quickly slapped his twig hands over his mouth.

Blue eyes twinkled in excitement as he kneeled to the snowman's level and prodded, "Really? Like who?"

"Wait a minute, you can't just ask me questions without introducing yourself!" Olaf said in an indignant manner.

Jack bowed his head in exasperation before he said, "The name's Jack Frost. Anyway, I'm looking for a girl-"

But the snowman was staring at him from head to foot then to his staff. He muttered something between his buucktooth and without any warning he gave a loud shriek that rang in Jack's ears and threatened to split his brain into two.

"It's a _man with a stick_!"

* * *

><p><strong>-;-<strong>

It's been more than a week since Jack left and Jamie's notebook was filled with minced paragraphs and scratched out plans. He was a bit wary with Aron but the man acted normally like his grandmother wasn't an honorary Guardian and that he could see Jack as plain as day.

"Jackie?" A small voice popped from the other side of the door. Sophie emerged with her hair tied up, showing of her freckled face and a quizzical look as she stared up to her big brother.

"No Soph... Jack's still not here" he breathed out.

"Aww" she pouted before she walked out of the room, no doubt she went to look for Felix to play with. Jamie stood up from the bed, his joints popped at the absence of exercise and the boy knew he was wasting his time by doing nothing but he couldn't figure out what he should do next. He was only a kid after all but still, it didn't discourage him.

Maybe he can find more information at the library... yeah! So with his snowcap and scarf on, he ran out of the house after telling his mom that he was going out with Felix. The large dog barked happily as they raced to town.

It wasn't as chilly as it was before and the sun shone brightly above them. People went a out their day as usual and some of the local kids he talked to before even waved at him. He tried to wave back as soon as he paused, Felix stood still as a stray squirrel wandered to their path. As soon as it saw the dog, it scampered away with a nut in its mouth. Felix gave a throaty 'Woof!' and began to pull Jamie along with strong force.

"Woah Felix! Wo-woah boy! Slow dooooown!" Jamie yelled but the dog kept running through the streets to catch the reddish rodent. Jamie pulled his cap closer to his head as he tried to keep with Felix's face but as Felix closed in to the squirrel, it climbed to a tree and caused Felix to stop. Jamie literally flew past Felix and fell on the snow with a thump.

"Bad dog" he murmured underneath the snow.

"Wow uh... nice landing" a new voice laughed.

Jamie lifted his head from the ground and saw a young girl, more like a teenager with her dirty blond hair tied into two messy buns and a couple of bangs on the right side of her forehead. Visible freckles splayed across her cheeks and her eyes were dark blue. She wore a flower patterned sweatshirt and skinny jeans with a pair of leather boots.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Jamie blinked before he hastily stood up and dusted the snow from his clothes, "Um- Yeah I'm fine."

"That was quite an entrance" she noted,

Jamie's face grew warm with embarrassment as he wiped the remaining snow off his face. The girl looked at the ground next to him and bent down to pick something up. She paused for a bit before she straightened herself with a small object in her hand.

"You dropped this"

He took his discarded notebook from her mitten-covered hands with a small 'thanks' and began to walk to Felix who was still barking at the squirrel. His ears twitched when he heard a set of footsteps following him.

With Felix's leash back in his hand again, he turned to the girl and asked, "Why are you following me?"

The girl pulled a face and tucked her hands to her back, "Well, I kinda saw something in you notebook and it got me curious" she answered, "Do you know something about the Snow Queen?"

"Erm, from the books" Jamie answered, no way he's gonna tell that the Snow Queen might be an evil spirit bent on kidnapping kids and turn them evil.

The girl pouted as she crossed her arms, "Well don't believe those books" she warned, "That version of the Snow Queen was wrong. Plus, she doesn't have a sled pulled by a reindeer, her sister did! Although it was her husband who had it."

Jamie stared at the weird girl, she was kind of freaking him out. But before he could walk away, the girl reached out her hand and smiled, "My name's Iliana Bjorgman. I saw you with Aron a few times, you must be their visitor from America."

Jamie hesitantly shook her hand and answered, "My name's Jamie. Jamie Bennett... how did you know all that Snow Queen stuff?" He had to be careful; the last he had encountered teenagers, Jack had to stick them to the wall and who knows if this girl was any different from them.

Iliana grinned and puffed her chest out proudly, "That's because the Snow Queen's my ancestor! Well, her sister's my great-great-great grandmother so I'm practically a princess too! Well... not really..."

**-;-**

* * *

><p>Disclaimer : Iliana Bjorgman was created by Ms. LisIVI aka MadameVi.<p>

To picture Iliana, just imagine Anna with blond hair and put it together with Punzilla's fan art and voila… Iliana!

Author's Note:

Runaway Olaf! Run away from Jack!

I definitely overestimated the free time I thought I have this month. Visiting Philippines during monsoon season… not my mom and aunt's best idea. Not to be whiny but I can't really write on my laptop since the power's always out and the internet's way too slow. But the places we went to were great though, like the beaches (even if I am allergic to salt water, I get itchy and rashes). Anyways, I dunno if the quality of my story is going down because I'm a harsh critique to my own works. I really wanna know what you guys think or feel about the story so far.

Anyways, I would like to thank the reviewers as usual :)

Maict: Well, I'm sorry you felt that way. I myself am unsatisfied with the plot. I have to do harder I guess but thank you for your honesty.

VAndreaMars: Aww thanks! I like to merge the original Snow Queen with the Disney one because Elsa would make a sympathetic character.

loveedwardanbella: I just lik to make them miss each other. I'm evil that way mwahahaha! But I'm glad you're enjoying yourself!

electricangel12: Thank goodness you agreed! I tried to make this as realistic as possible :)

The Cynical Nerd: I know right? I'm more of an angst/hurt and comfort gal rather than the fluffy over the top sweetness though… I think I might try and write something like that…

Maresia Eterna: Wow, thanks for the praise! The characterization was always important for me so I tend to have a fear of my characters being too OOC which is no good for me and the story is also happy you found it believe me! ;)

AngelDevilsXx: I thik Pitch's more of the gray guy in the world of black and white. There are stories that we try to see him as the sympathetic villain but I think it was his purpose that's why he was the Nightmare King. But I plan to expand his character in the succeeding chapters.

birdywings: That's sweet of you! I hope you'll be with us until the end!

Guest (anon)

ElsatheSnowQueen2

JDH1080

Plus: I miss my other reviewers... where are you guys? :( I miss your opinions and rantings and funny comments.

Anyway, I wanna know what you think about the plot, the characters, Iliana, Aron and of course; the recent encounters. Well, see you guys later! Though I'm not sure when I can update again. So… more reviews faster update? PMs are welcomed but flames will be deleted and will receive a rather stern lecture from me.


	17. All That Really Matters

**Finne Min Senter**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen<strong>**  
>All That Really Matters<strong>  
><em><strong>-;-<strong>_

* * *

><p>Jamie Bennett pursed his lips as he followed Iliana through town. So far she slipped three times on the slippery sidewalk three times, knocked over a cardboard stand and walked into other people whenever she turned her head to look at him. She was, for lack of better words, a klutz. When he first saw her, she looked like she got it all together, but the very moment she took a step forward; she made a squeaky 'eeep!' and landed on the snow. Felix bounded up to her and sniffed at her face with his big wet nose. She seemed to like animals since she held on to Felix's neck to help her balance as she talked about where her family came from, all the while scratching his big dog ears.<p>

"So my _mormor_ told me stories of her own grandmother who used to live in Norway. They say that the unknown kingdom was still standing and but anything that comes in turns to ice!" as she uttered the word 'ice', she threw a handful of snow up to the air and laughed as it came down around them.

Jamie frowned as he patted the snow from his beanie; technically Iliana was a teenager but she was behaving like Sophie during a sugar rush. He really wanted to gather information about the Snow Queen but Iliana was keen on sharing her family's history before going to the real subject.

So far he learned that her family was the last monarchs of a small kingdom which was frozen for almost two centuries and she was actually related to the Snow Queen herself, well, through her sister but blood was still blood. Finally, Iliana directed them to a wooden bench and patted the space next to her with a whimsical smile on her face.

"Look Iliana," Jamie sighed as he eased down to his seat, "I really don't have much time and I really want to know who Snow Queen really was. I think there's a connection between her and the" he looked around and lowered his voice, "kidnappings. I think she's the one who took the kids all around the world!"

"You think she's the what?!" she yelled out.

"Ssssh!" Jamie slapped a palm over her mouth in panic, "I'm not a hundred percent sure yet but I have a gut-feeling that she's got something to do with it!"

Iliana's eyebrows furrowed down as she pushed his hand away from her face, "What d'you mean that she's the kidnapper? What would her motive be if she was? I dunno Jamie, it all looked sketchy to me." Her lower lip jutted out as she placed a hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear.

He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled through his nose, "I read the story book. The story goes that the Snow Queen was a spirit who lived in Spitsbergen and controlled the snowflakes or 'snow bees'."

He paused when Iliana coughed aloud that strangely sounded like 'crazy talk!' but he continued as though there weren't any interruptions; "Now, she had this 'troll mirror' that makes everyone evil if they entered someone's eye or if they were pierced in the heart. There was a kid named Kai who turned evil and the Snow Queen lured him away; his best friend Gerda went after him and-"

"Okay stop" Iliana said as she held out a hand, "That version is wrong in every level. I told you the storybook is full of lies, and was that 'source'" she emphasized with air quotes, "as reliable as you say?"

Jamie pursed his lips to supress the urge to tell her that the Tooth Fairy was more than sure that the Snow Queen was involved but Iliana might come to the conclusion that he's nuts. But then again... she just announced to the whole world that she's a descendant of an extinct family of royalty that hailed from Norway where the queen was coincidentally dubbed the same character on folklore and had the same powers.

Iliana tugged at the hem of her sweatshirt and sent a blank look at him, "You've seen Snow Queen then?"

"Er... no, not really" he muttered.

"Then you're cracking a shot in the dark; you can't just accuse someone of being a kidnapper because they 'looked the part'. I would like to know about that source of yours."

"You can't!" he shouted, a bit too loudly and quickly. It prompted a few birds to fly away and for Iliana to stare at him with her big blue eyes.

But her surprise was short-lived and placed a hand on her hips, "W-well I-uh... demand? _(Can I say demand? Yeah!)_ I demand that you tell me where you heard that!"

"You can't order me around!" Jamie grounded and met her irritated gaze with his own.

"I can because I'm a princess!" she scoffed though it was more of a squeak, "If you can't answer that then I'm gonna assume that you're making stuff up!"

"Me? What about you; you're the one who kept saying that you're related to the Snow Queen! How will I know if you're the one who's making things up?" he challenged. The girl was strong-willed, it may take while before she would back down but the thought was quickly contradicted when Iliana placed a hand on her cheek and thoughtfully muttered,

"You have a point there. And it's really mean of me to demand things like that..." she muttered to herself. It made him scratch his head; it was like the girl doesn't possess a mean bone on her body. But then, she suddenly stood up and began to search her pockets for something.

"I swear I have one on me" she said to herself before she smiled and fished out a small pen from her back pocket. "Can I have a piece of paper?" she asked.

Jamie pulled a confused face but ripped a page from his notepad nonetheless and gave it to her. She carefully wrote on the paper and folded it before giving it to him. He unfolded it and read the words, "13 Bergsgatan Street?"

"It's my address. I'm gonna give you the proof that I'm telling the truth and in return, I want to know how on earth could you have come into a conclusion like that.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>__**  
><strong>_

Running after a snowman wasn't in his 'to do list' but not only was it cool (and a bit weird) but it also meant that he can finally get to Sunshine. It wasn't a challenge to catch the round (not to mention loud) snowman as it waddled away from him with a high-pitched screech. All the while it had been... "running", he merely floated a few inches off the ground and let the snowman get a head start before he kicked back on the air and flew down right in front of the snowman. He stuck the end of his staff on his elongated head, leaned down to his level and said

"I'm looking for someone and you're going to tell me where she is."

"Why?"

"Because I need to talk to her"

"Why?" he repeated, large eyes stared at him.

Jack gave out a frustrated sigh and answered, "It's something very important. Just... level with me here, I'm on official Guardians business and I need to see her pronto!"

The snowman's face was blank. It took a few more minutes before he slowly said, "What's a guardian?"

Jack felt the urge to pull his hair out and scream- but he didn't. This little guy was the only lead he had with Sunshine and he had to get him to his side. Clearly he met up with her, otherwise he wouldn't scream and run around like a maniac. And not just met... she clearly created him but the difference between him and Snow Cone was too vast. It was like comparing a pebble with a mountain.

Time was of the essence and every second that ticked, he felt like he was losing her. From what, he didn't know but now that Pitch had warned him about it, he'll do anything just to talk to her and get her to stay with their side. His side, more particularly.

'Where did that come from?' he thought in an alarmed expression.

"Uh, Mr Man with a stick?" the round snowman piped up, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I am" Jack affirmed as he slightly shook his head to clear those thoughts away. "The name's Jack Frost. So the Guardians are spirits, like me, who protect children all around the world. I'm here to look for somebody who's..."

What should he say? A suspect? A kidnapper?

"...a friend of mine. I have to get to her before Pitch Black and I-"

"Wait, you're her friend?" he interrupted.

"Yeah I am, now the other Guardians were out-"

A confused look covered his face and swung his twig arms sideways, "Hmmm, funny, 'she' said that you betrayed her-"

Jack's eyes narrowed and frost spontaneously grew beneath his feet. The snowman who called himself Olaf squeaked and jumped away from the foreign ice. "I didn't betray her!" he said out loud. How he wanted to see Sunshine materialize in front of him so he could grab her by her arms and shake her until the truth would sink into her thick stubborn head.

"I really am her friend" he continued, his voice was no more than a whisper "I will never do something like that to any of my friends."

"Friends..." Olaf echoed in a forlorn tone, "I don't have any other friends. They all passed or moved away". He then looked up to him with his large eyes and asked

"Are you lonely too?"

Jack leaned his head against his staff and said, "Sometimes, but whenever I'm with Jamie, my best friend, the loneliness disappears. But now... I don't know if he can consider me a friend anymore."

Olaf nodded, "I know. I just met up with my friend a couple of days ago but it's like she's not the same person I know."

"Y'mean Sunshine?" Jack felt a ray of hope as Olaf recounted his encounter with (whom he hoped to be) Sunshine.

"Who's Sunshine?" he asked.

"She's the woman you're talking about!"

"Mmmm, nope, doesn't ring a bell" Olaf shrugged.

The guardian didn't know if he was playing dumb or there's no brain inside that large head of his.

"The woman who has blond hair and blue eyes? Has a perpetual frown" he explained but all he received was a blank stare. "Look, she's girl who has powers like mine" He demonstrated this by opening his palm and a snowball materialized in his hand.

Olaf's eyes widened and 'oooh'-ed and took the ball from his hand. Jack watched as Olaf held the snowball with such care like it was precious. "Well, if you have the same powers I guess you're not that bad" he murmured. He turned to Jack with a wide smile on his face and nodded, "Since you need to talk to her, I'll help ya out."

Jack gave him a crooked smile, "Thanks pal."

There was a short gasp escaped from him and he raised a brow, "What?"

"You..." Olaf gasped, "You called me 'pal'!"

Confusion grew on his face as Jack placed his staff on his shoulder, "Yeah, I guess I did."

"You mean; I'm your buddy? Your friend?"

Jack couldn't resist those large round eyes staring at him; it was like looking at a round white cat eyeing the can of sardines in his hand. He gave a slight head jerk and casually said, "Sure"

Then, it came out. A strangled squeak of excitement from the snowman. Out of nowhere, beams of light focused around them and the sounds of horns being played surrounded them.

"What the-"

Out of the blue, Olaf turned around with a hat on his head and a cane in his hand. Jack was beyond confused on the sudden turn of events.

Two beams of light that came from the skies focused on the snowman as he began to sidestep into the beat of the horn with steady riff of a guitar;

Mopey or glad, sad or scared  
>I wanna have someone who cared<br>To wipe my big tears away, to play until the stars are out  
>There's nothin' like a friend~ <em>-Are you really singing?-<em>_  
><em>  
>But here ya' are,<br>And you looked like you've traveled far  
>Hey let's hang around and talk for a while<br>There's nothing like a friend

Gonna play under the sun  
>Or just have some big time fun<em> -This is too weird-<em>_  
><em>I don't need anything else cuz  
>There's nothin' like a friend<p>

Scary things are out to get me _-Don't hug me-__  
><em>But as long as you got me and I got you,  
>We got each other's backs buddy<br>There's nothin' like a friend! _-Where's the off button?-__  
><em>  
>Doesn't matter how long (or short) we've met<br>You're someone I can't forget  
>You lend a hand, I'll give you two<br>Need some help? Then I'm with ya Jackie! _-Don't call me Jackie!-__  
><em>  
>Let's go and save the day<br>Don't worry pal, I'll stay with you 'til the end cuz  
>There's nothing like a (belting) fri~end!<p>

_-... can we go now?-__  
><em>  
>Jack uncrossed his arms and shooed the humming bees. Olaf giggled as he threw away the hat and cane to who knows where and waddled close to him, "But we have to find <em>the bunny<em> first thought." Jack stopped his movements and sharply turned to Olaf,

"Run that by me again?"

Olaf nodded and pointed at the clear sky, "We were supposed to go to Sweden and look for something when a really big and scary bunny cut my head off with a triangle thingie. Man, I've never seen Elsa that mad before."

"Bunny..." Jack hissed under his breath. Bunnymund had taken the matters in his own paws and he will bet his staff that the others weren't informed of this. But a name stood above the distressing news.

"Wait... what was the name that you've said?" he asked Olaf. The snowman shrugged and stated, "Elsa. Y'know, the one you've been calling 'Sunshine'? Elsa's really her name, it's not that it doesn't suit her but I just thought maybe you two are friends, you made a nickname for her. That's great, maybe you two were so close or something."

The guardian didn't have the heart to tell him that he coined that nickname for her because never told him her real name. But now was not the time to dwell on things like that, what matters was that Olaf had given him an idea on where Suns- er, Elsa was.

He positioned himself to fly when he felt a tug on his pants. Jack looked down and saw Olaf holding on the cuff of his pants, refusing to let go. "Uh Olaf?" he sighed, "Let go. Please" he added the please for good measure but judging by the determined light in Olaf's eyes, he will be forced to take his pants off and that will never happen in a million years.

"I want to help Elsa!" Olaf whined, "I'm her friend too and friends stick to each other no matter what!"

He really had no time for this but Olaf was right. Plus if it weren't for him, he would still be running around in circles. So with a single nod, he grabbed Olaf's twig arms and heaved the snowman to his back.

"Hang on" he instructed.

"Where are we going?" Olaf asked as he fastened himself around Jack's neck.

"To North's workshop," he answered before he kicked off the ground and mentally called out to the wind to get them there faster. Olaf's weight wasn't really a challenge, but the sharp shrieking into his ear proved to be a problem.

_'Wind, for the love of ice, get us there now!'_

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>_

Elsa kept her eyes to her folded hands, having memorized every line and curve. There was nothing to do but wait; she was a patient woman and she just had to make a plan to escape or somehow convince them that she wasn't the one they're looking for. She leaned her back against the wall and closed her eyes.

The guardians didn't know what happened to Olaf. She had to retell their meeting with the Easter Bunny and the Sandman who backed up her words. The small man looked friendly enough and for a moment, she felt some comfort from Santa Clause but she had to keep her guard up. They may be affiliated with children but they were also warriors. Each of them can hold on their own and when they're together, they really are a force to be reckoned with.

She slowly opened her eyes when she heard noises on the other side of the door. The tinkle of bells, muffled words and a jumble of grunts made it impossible for her to understand what was going on out there. Elsa sighed as she carefully lifted her palm to call forth a snowflake. All she managed to create was a small mist that dissolved within a few short seconds. It felt... strange; it was like she had no powers, a normal being. Elsa had imagined life without ice magic in her mortal life but now, she felt incomplete.

Granted the barrier only suppressed her powers, she can't help but feel like a part of her was taken away. This was the most vulnerable state she had ever been, under the clutches of the ones who hunted her while another, darker being lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike when opportunity presents itself.

_'Calm down Elsa'_ she soothed herself, _'Remember, be the Snow Queen. YOU are the Snow Queen. Conceal, don't feel' _she chanted in her mind.

And the chanting continued until the door opened.

There stood Jack Frost.

He looked the same; the staff, the clothes on his back... the only thing different was something behind his legs. And that something was-

"_Olaf!_" she cried out happily, completely forgetting to put on her emotionless mask as she pushed herself against the glass to see her friend better.

"Elsa!" Olaf cried back as he ran past Jack and pressed his branch hands against the glass as well.

Elsa was glad to see her friend at one piece but he yelled out her name, something she specifically told him not to do. But he was here now, and he's safe. That's what mattered to her.

"Bunny didn't really roughen him up much" Jack quietly said, "Found him under the pile of snow so I kinda helped him out."

Elsa didn't even spare him a glance; instead, she poured her attention to Olaf who was grinning widely. She tried to smile back but remembered that they had an audience. Then, she realized that Olaf was standing in front of the fireplace but he wasn't melting. In fact there a couple of snowflakes falling from his head.

A small flurry hovered above him and Elsa knew she didn't create a flurry for him before they got separated. So it meant that-

"Oh Jack made me one!" Olaf squeaked in excitement, "You should try flying with him through the clouds; it was the best thing ever!"

Elsa pursed her lips and carefully stood up; steeling herself for a confrontation that untimely came. She held herself to full height and stared right to Jack Frost. If she had regained her powers, the fire in the hearth would be long gone and the ice would engulf everything in the room. The edges of the barrier started to frost over and the temperature dropped dangerously on her side.

"Sunshine, calm down and hear me out" he coaxed. Her eyes must have warned him to tread lightly against the oncoming battle.

Olaf took a step back away from them, as Jack laid his staff against the barrier and placed his hands to his side, "I know that you're mad at me but I didn't do rat you out."

She sent him a venomous glare that had sent shivers down to any lesser being's spine but he was determined to stand by his words. Elsa felt the sting of misplaced anger and hidden envy that was directed right at him.

"Silence" she said; her tone was quiet and dangerous.

She flinched when he lifted a hand but he just used it to scratch the back of his head in an annoyed manner, "I didn't waste my time looking for you just so you can ignore me. Sunshine, I'm trying to help you here."

"Listen to Jack, Snow Queen" the irritating Tooth Fairy interjected, the soft caring tone must be a trick she thought. "The sooner you tell us about what you know about the kidnapping, the sooner you can get out."

"I've been telling you all these time, I don't know anything!" she bellowed.

The small birds that surrounded the Tooth Fairy squealed in fear and hid behind their creator. Santa Claus was less than impressed with her temper but he kept a cool head and approached them with a docile front.

"We need to work together and bring children back to their homes. Now's not time to have a fight! Jack," he turned to the silver-haired young man, "We need to know if we can trust this woman and if she will cooperate with us."

Elsa's eyes flashed and threw her arms aside, breaking their previous crossed position, "I won't partake with any of this! It would be best if you will just release me and Olaf from this prison and leave us be!"

"But the kids-" Jack started.

"_I don't care_!" she yelled. It was a lie. Of course she cared for the children and the well-being of their parents but she was being leashed by these spirits, poking and prodding to see what she can do. It was like she was in a circus and she was a lioness who was being forced to jump over the flaming hoop.

"I'm afraid we have to keep you here until we figure this out" Santa Claus said morosely as he shook his head like it actually pained him to say it.

"So this is your game" she whispered, "Blackmail me into fighting for your side in exchange for our freedom."

They were even worse than Hans.

"That's not what we're trying to do!" Jack defended. Of course he will defend them; he is a _guardian_ after all.

But still, she ignored him. "I have no interest in children; I won't gain anything by taking them from their families. Why you thought it was me was beyond my comprehension, just because someone exposed my existence." She could see Jack bristle by the corner of her eye but she kept an emotionless face, "I assure you, as soon as you release me and my friend, it will be the last you will see of us."

"Elsa-"

There was an involuntary tug on her chest when he called her out by her real name. It wasn't his place to know her name, even if Olaf had yelled it for all to hear. It was a piece of her past that she held close; even Pitch knew better than call her that. Instead, he would mockingly refer to her as 'Your Majesty'.

"I'm not the kind to attack anyone but I will fight back if you're a threatening me" she warned. It wasn't the smartest move but they needed to know that she was serious and they can't push her around.

"I know Snow Queen-"

"_Stop ignoring me_"

Jack didn't yell but his words were strong as he interrupted the bearded man. Demanding but not too forceful. Yet she was as stubborn as he; she never yielded to anyone's demands and the battle of wills had begun. Jack's calm façade just happened to be a mask he placed because the telltale signs of a brewing snowstorm in their side.

"Look, just listen to me-"

"I will cooperate with you fully as long as you keep Jack Frost away from my sights" she bit out, clearly pointing the words straight at the said person.

"Stop it!" he yelled. A gale of ice started to come down hard and the howls of wind threatened to throw everyone out. Olaf managed to hang on to a fireplace poker stands but Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy and several elves were not spared from his anger and found themselves thrown out of the room.

He pointed his staff towards the door and it successfully froze the door inside out, evidently the bolt as well because a less than amused Russian voice yelled out with displeasure.

"Jack! Open this right now!" Santa Claus' irritated tone seeped from the space between the door and the floor but none of them heeded his call. Olaf was already on the other side of the room as the ice covered his side of the barrier.

"What are you going to do, torture me to submission? Make me confess to a crime didn't commit?"

"_Shut up and listen to me for once_!"

Jack's chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm like he was trying to calm himself but she wasn't going to back down without venting out as well, "You have the gall to order me? You Guardians attacked me! I trusted you Jack Frost and I have the right to-"

"I didn't attack you; I never told them anything so stop telling everyone that I betrayed you! I'm trying to clear everything but you're making it worst!" he bellowed.

Their anger started to affect everything around them. The window's glass was covered with ice, the winds howled in an agonized moan and Olaf was trying to cut in,

"Uh guys? Guys?!"

"Wha- I'm making it worst? It wouldn't have gotten this far if you had just left me alone when I told you to! And the only way for them to know about me was through you. Am I supposed to believe that it was all a mere coincidence?" she shot back. The floorboards under her groaned and she saw her ice patterns beginning to imprint themselves on the barrier.

Jack's glare deepens and she crossed her arms defiantly.

"How am I going to get through that stubborn head of yours?" he bit out, "I keep telling you that it's truth but you just want to believe your side of the story! Yeah I'm a guardian but you're my friend too and I would never betray my friends! Think about it Sunshine, think really hard, do you really believe that I can do that to you?"

Elsa froze, she was never been told off like that, much less shouted at but he did have a point. There was a tiny part of her that dared to believe that Jack didn't lie to her but everything came tumbling down.

If Jack didn't tell them about her, then why would they seek her in Sweden? Why would they accuse her of doing such a heinous crime? How did they come across a spirit that kept herself a secret for centuries and was conveniently connected with their comrade?

Her head hurts; it threatened to split her mind into two, trying to make her see the conclusion in this otherwise confusing event. "I- I don't know what to believe anymore" she confessed, "What do you want from me?!"

All the numbness from her heart fought with the heart that had long stopped beating. Her emotions ate her being and the ice she trapped herself began to crumble underneath her, dragging her to a downward spiral.

"Sunshine..." he whispered. She watched his face display a myriad of emotions all at once but the light in his blue eyes stayed the same. He pressed his hand against the barrier, not minding the ice that enveloped it.

"All I ask if for you to trust me. I told you before, I'm _never_ going to leave you" he assured her but she wasn't assured for a bit. Instead, it confused her more.

Trusting others was a dangerous choice and she wanted nothing more than to evade it but now was the time to choose. But she couldn't help but wonder if this was worse than having Pitch Black as a companion. It was like she was in the middle of a war and she had to no choice but to choose a faction and battle the other.

She had neither love nor any sort of friendship with Pitch but if she was going to support the guardians, Pitch will see her as an enemy as well. And though she will never say it, Pitch will be a very dangerous, terrifying enemy indeed. He was intelligent, cunning and resourceful.

"I- I want to be alone for now" she breathed out. Her body was weak, as if she had fought a battalion of soldiers without stop. She tore her eyes away from his face and turned her back to him, emphasizing her words in case he didn't hear her.

But she knew this was far from over. If anything, this was just the beginning. She heard him sigh heavily and there was a sound of ice cracking. The door flew open and Santa Claus came rushing in with a couple of furry giants behind him.

"Jack! What-"

"It's okay North. We'll just take a breather" he explained.

Elsa expected him to walk out along the others, she wished he did. But instead, he grabbed his staff, rested it against his shoulder and sat on the floor. She looked over her shoulder with a raised brow.

"I know I'm going to regret this question but; what are you doing?"

He gave her an enigmatic grin as he leaned against the wall to get comfortable, "I'm not gonna leave here until you talk to me."

"You're wasting your time. Make use of it wisely such as catching the real culprit behind this heinous act so I can be free" she spat; her shoulders were tense while his were slackened. Her semi-transparent cloak was tangled by her feet but she still retained her stiff posture.

"That will take more than a few days without any leads and look at it this way, the only way you can be free is to stop being stubborn and listen to me" he stated and even started flip his staff between his fingers.

Olaf waddled next to Jack and sat down as well, "Don't worry Elsa, you'll be out here with us in no time at all!"

"Yep, come to the good side Elsa, North has cookies!"

Her lips curled as she turned her back to them and sat on the floor, staring at the wall with a blank expression, "Frankly, imprisonment sounds tempting right now."

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>_

Rows of houses stood across the lane. Some were small while others were large, like the one he was standing in front of right now. The iron fences surrounded the structure and the mailbox was stamped with the name 'Bjorkman'. The front door opened and a tall man with sandy brown hair walked out, a brown leather case in his hand.

"Hi!" Jamie greeted, his tone was loud that it startled the man. He suddenly grew nervous when he realized that the man can only speak in Swedish. Iliana can speak English, which he was sure, but can her family?

"Uh... _Har… Iliana Björkman.. b-bor här_ ?" he stuttered out, trying to remember the basic Swedish phrases he learned from both Aron and his Swedish-English translation book.

The man chuckled as he walked down the cobblestone steps and shook his head, "Your accent is terrible but not the worst I've ever heard. Iliana told me that you might pay us a visit." He chuckled as Jamie shuffled his feet and tugged at his jacket.

The chestnut door opened and Iliana's head poked out, "Whoa I didn't think you'd actually come here! Dad, he's the one I met earlier!" she grinned at the man.

The man nodded as Iliana literally skipped down the stairs and stopped right beside Jamie, "We're just going to talk with_ mormor _about something."

"Alright, but behave yourselves alright _tofkia_?" he stated to Iliana who smiled widely and bobbed her head.

She led Jamie into her house; it was warm and the ceiling was high, giving the room a much larger look. The windows were large as well, inviting the sunlight into the entire house. A stack of books and sheet music strewn around every surface and a violin case was placed on top of a grand piano.

"Wow, is your dad a musician?" Jamie asked as his eyes roved over the thick volumes of books written in a foreign language.

"Nah, he's a producer for the local folk music. I mean, it's not really a hot profession but as long as he loves doing it then it's good" Iliana said as she shrugged off her scarf. "Mom's real happy with his work though, says it preserves our culture or something."

"Iliana?" a soft voice came from a room that was on the end of the hall.

"That'll be _mormor_" Iliana said, gesturing him to follow her.

As Iliana opened the door, an orange cat with striped fur walked out with a ball of yarn tied on the end of its tail. Iliana seemed to ignore this and pulled him into the circle room where the thick curtains covered the light. An elderly lady was sitting on a rocking chair, a book on her lap and wore gold rimmed reading glasses.

The woman lifted her head and nodded at them, "Iliana, _Är det du som mitt sött_?"

"Yes _mormor_. _Mitt kompis är här. Men kan du tala på engelska? Han inte kan förstå svenska_"

"All right" the old woman sighed, "Come closer child, so I can see you." She held a wrinkled hand out towards Jamie.

He hesitated as he took in the woman with light auburn hair with gray streaks tied in a loose bun. A purple shawl draped over her shoulders and there were light freckles peppered her nose and cheeks. Iliana must have pushed him closer to the woman because he found himself being stared down by a pair of crystal blue eyes that were considerably lighter than Iliana's.

"So," the old woman started "You wanted to know about the last monarchs of the lost kingdom of Norway?"

"The what?" Jamie repeated in a confused tone.

"He wants to know about Queen Anna's sister _mormor_" Iliana explained.

"Ah, you mean Queen Elsa?" the old woman crooned. "My _mormor_ liked to hear the stories of the woman who is one with the snow."

Jamie's eyes widened and with haste; took out a notepad from his bag and his pen from the pocket of his jacket, "The Snow Queen?"

The woman nodded and gestured them to sit on the small loveseat that was pushed to the wall.

"The year was eighteen thirty-seven. The king and queen of Arendelle were blessed with a first-born daughter. Traditionally it was favourable to have a son but they were delighted by the good health and safe birth of their daughter. But there was magic in the midst of the child. Some folk would say that the child was born of cold, winter air and mountain rain combined, that sorcery was involved. The king and his queen were horrified that she might be a sorceress but they strengthened their resolve and three years later, a new princess was born-"

"That's my great-great-great-granny Anna!" Iliana excitedly whispered only to be shushed by Jamie. He was hearing the history of the real Snow Queen and this was a chance of a lifetime.

"Elsa loved her sister dearly" the old woman continued, plainly unaware of the interruption, "Only Anna gets to her world of ice and snow though their parents didn't approve. Finally one night, while playing; Elsa accidentally struck Anna on the head." Iliana gasped and knitted her hands together.

"C'mon, you must have heard this story a thousand times now" Jamie whispered to her.

In turn, she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms; "Well the elements of surprise were still there! Just because you heard something over and over doesn't mean it's getting dull!"

"The king took her to the Valley of the Living Rock where trolls were said to inhabit the land."

"Trolls?! As in big, smelly, scary trolls?" Jamie gasped, amazed that they existed.

"Where did you get that description? From one of those story books again?" Iliana quipped. He felt his ears grow warm as he jotted down the word "Trolls" on his notepad.

"Hey, not all of us grew up in a family who had magic in our blood" he replied.

"Well in _mormor'_s stories; trolls were small rock-like creatures that has magic and wisdom. They helped the Arendelle monarchs for generations and I think they're still there!" Iliana said. Upon seeing her grandmother's impatient glance, she shrunk back and muttered, "Sorry _mormor_."

"The troll king helped the younger sister but erased Anna's memory of her sister's power and warned them that fear will be Elsa's enemy. Desperate, the king ordered the gate and kept the sisters apart and away from other people."

"But sadly, when travelling to a neighboring kingdom, the ship that carried the king and queen sunk down on the ocean. Now the two princesses were alone in this world but Elsa became even more distant from everyone else-"

"But shouldn't Elsa have gotten closer to Anna? I mean, they only have each other now" Jamie asked.

"It's difficult for Elsa to reconnect with her sister. Only the king and the queen were Elsa's connection to the outside world" the old woman explained. "After Elsa turned twenty-one to be crowned... all... that chaaaan-"

The sentence ended with soft snores and the two looked at the old woman who was snoring away in her seat.

"I think it's _mormor_'s naptime" Iliana giggled nervously as she took the folded blanket from the closet. Jamie sighed as he closed his notepad and inquired, "When is she gonna wake up?"

"Maybe in an hour or so" she answered, fluffing a pillow before she snuck it behind her grandmother's back and closed the curtain to cut off the light. He placed his notepad into his bag and jumped out of the chair. Iliana gestured him to follow her out and they ended up on the porch. The silence was deafening and he felt awkward around the older girl who was busy humming a song.

"What are we going to do while we wait for your grandma to wake up?"

Iliana tapped her chin and jumped down from the wooden rail down to the deep snow, "I know it sounds silly but, do you wanna build a snowman?"

_**-;-**_

_**End of Chapter Seventeen**_

* * *

><p>AN: Hey guys. Sorry it's only been updated because I was side-tracked by my other story which is NOT a Frozen fanfic and I have to make a really big confession to you all:

I know that it's been more than a month since I updated and truthfully, this chapter would've been put up sooner but I was too critical with my work.

For a while now, I tried to make this story perfect because I felt it was an obligation since many had said that they loved this and expected its progression. But along the way, I rewrote this chapter, proofread it then scrapped it until this was the fifteenth try. I have to admit there was a slight case of writer's block but the truth was; I was criticizing myself and tried compared my writing style to Agatha Christie, Barbara Cartland and R. L. Stine that it came out too frigid, too polished that it lost the magic, the emotions and the very soul of this piece. I wanted my story to be so perfect that I forgot to enjoy actually writing the story instead of trying to please everyone. When someone said it was too boring, I will change the scene, destroying the momentum. When someone commented it was OOC, I would obsess into creating the character back into their old nature but stunted their development into my story. I was too busy trying to keep everyone happy that in the end my story suffered.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the need for perfection killed my creativity.

I mean, sure I made mistakes here and there but those were my mistakes and I shouldn't be so hard on myself just because of my typo. I'm not saying I won't take note of all your comments and suggestions but I finally remembered the essence of this story. For many readers, this is just a past time to keep them busy in a boring day but for me, this is a stepping stone for doing something I really love which was writing stories. Sure it's no Romeo and Juliet or Hercule Poirot but it's my treasure.

Not sure if there will still be people reviewing this story after this but I want you all to know that I loved and appreciated all your thoughts to this story, especially the detailed reviews :)

That was all I'm gonna say and here's my thanks to the great reviewers of the previous chapter:

rsteen

SMr. Freeze

Mdame Vi

imafangirlforever

Guest (anon)

Da-Awesome-One

AvatarFreak 17

AXeIS

AngelDevilsxX

Popoto

reluctant-persona

The Cynical Nerd

ElsaTheSnowQueen2

Lostblueheart16

Bookie 9786

Puteri Tina

Maict

Well I just got back from the Philippines and I'm adjusting my sleeping cycle again. Well, see you guys later.


	18. Lights Out

_**Finne Min Senter**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Eighteen<strong>_

_**Lights Out**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>_

Jamie sat on the bus, absent-mindedly stared at the scene from the window; Iliana's grandmother's story was still fresh in his mind. After Queen Elsa was crowned, her powers were discovered and she was forced to flee to the mountains to protect, not herself, but the people of her kingdom. But in doing so, she accidentally froze the whole place. Her younger sister tried to bring her back and along the way she met with an ice harvester and a 'talking snowman' and was struck by Elsa's ice in the heart. And eventually they met a bunch of trolls who said that 'an act of true love will melt a frozen heart' and the rest was a blur of deception, acceptance and a single act of familial love ended the eternal winter. For a while, Jamie sat on the sofa without any word while Iliana sighed contentedly before her grandmother continued the tale with a less than happy ending.

Even if the queen had powers, she was still vulnerable under the human conditions, she wasn't indestructible. So after months of battling the sickness, she died.

But she didn't stay that way for long. Iliana's grandmother (who just realized that she hadn't said her name yet) Gerda, told them in a soft voice that on the night of Elsa's sixtieth death anniversary, Elsa came back the same time as Anna died.

No one knew what happened back then but her great-great grandfather, Klaus, had seen a platinum haired woman standing in midair and cried out in anguish. She said he described the winds were harsh and ice ate away everything it could trap within its grasp. The last time anyone had ever seen the real Snow Queen was at that night before she fled out of the kingdom, never to be seen again.

Naturally the Arendelle folk would have to leave. Iliana and Gerda's ancestors took shelter in Sweden while their kin settled further into Norway. But a lot of things bugged him, a bunch of holes that needed answers. Things like how she managed to return from, well, being dead. And if she was a good queen, how can she freeze the entire kingdom, her home, just like that?

He thanked Gerda while Iliana raised a brow at him, her light blue eyes flashed with pure curiosity. Surely by that time, she was itching to know where he got his idea from when his mom (with her amazing ability to interrupt at the perfect moment) called to come home. Of course, Iliana wasn't pleased that he had to delay their talk but promised that he will tell her his story when he was available. She promptly asked him why he can't do it tomorrow which he mumbled, "Shopping with my mom."

Iliana hid a grin behind her hand and nodded, giving her number as she walked him to the bus stop. The snow had stopped falling but the streets were still piled up with white stuff. He suddenly missed the green grass and the brown bark of the trees and the cool summer breeze that soothed the balmy afternoons.

The bus halted on his stop and began his walk back to the house. So many things were happening too fast, it made his head spin. If someone had told him a year and a half ago that he was researching a fairy tale character to help Jack Frost, Santa Claus and the others to save kids from all over the world; he will be over the moon. But he never realized that there was a burden with that privilege. He now carried the knowledge of a secret world where light and darkness collide, where the fate of the children and the world depended on the outcome.

But good always triumphs over evil, right?

The boy was so engrossed with his thoughts that he didn't hear the bounding steps of a large animal. He felt the impact a second late before he fell on his back and his face was being licked by the friendly dog.

"Haha, Felix!" he laughed before he pushed the dog off.

Felix gave a small whine but sat on the ground with his tail wagging vigorously. Jamie sat up and placed his arms over his knees; his eyes were unfocused. It was times like this that he wished Jack would pop out of thin air and reassure him that everything's alright.

_But Jack's not here._

He can't just talk to any of the Guardians that easily, knowing that they were out there, looking for the kidnapper. He had no one to talk to and he had no friends here in Sweden.

He never felt so... isolated.

His sad thoughts were interrupted when Felix whined and pressed his big nose to Jamie's face as if to say that he was wrong. And Felix was right; there's Aron, Sophie and Iliana. He wasn't alone in this. With a newfound strength, he stood up from the snow covered concrete and patted the dog, "Guess I had some work for a twelve year old, huh bud?"

The warmth of Aron's home surrounded him as he stepped foot in the house. His mom was tidying Sophie up for mealtime while Cassidy approached him with a sweet smile,

"You're just in time for dinner dear" she announced.

Jamie grinned back as he stomped on the mat to get rid of the excess snow. Aron poked the fire with the metal rod, the wood crackled as the flames continued to devour it. A tall figure loomed by the side of the dinner table; it was Erik. The teenager with thick dark curls peeled the apples and placed them on the table, never looking at Jamie. He was a rather intimidating figure, it was as if he will tackle you to the ground if you so much as look at him the wrong way.

"Dinner's ready guys!" Cassidy called out as she placed the roasted chicken on the middle of the table.

"Oh Cassie, you've outdone yourself!" his mom praised as she settled the squirming Sophie into her seat. Cassidy snorted as she patted her husband's arm with affection,

"I can barely boil an egg! Aron's the chef of the family"

Aron's ears turned red and Jamie bit back his laughter at their host's flustered state. As they tucked in, they all started to talk about random things while Jamie, Erik and Sophie were quiet; each lost in their own thoughts. Except for Sophie, who was completely busy with her meal to even form a passing idea.

"So Jamie," Cassidy suddenly said, "You seem to really like the neighbourhood. Have you made any friends?"

Jamie's forkful of chicken stopped inches away from his face before he quickly put it in his mouth and chewed. It was like he swallowed a mouthful of cotton as his throat suddenly went dry.

He stole a glance at Aron's direction but the man was drinking his cider with gusto. The boy fidgeted his utensils a few more seconds before he answered the pending question.

"Uh, yeah. I met someone- well, more like I kinda bumped into her when Felix chased a squirrel" he laughed, though in a more exaggerated manner.

"Mmm? Did you get her name, because I know everyone in this town" Cassidy nodded to herself and took a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, her name's Iliana Bjorgman" he answered.

Erik's reaction was hard to go unnoticed to Jamie, since he was sitting across from his own seat. His dark stormy gray eyes narrowed and his ears turned a considerable shade of pink. Aron raised a brow as Cassidy tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Bjorgman... I think I heard that name before."

"She's Gerda Bjorgman's granddaughter. Dirty blond hair with freckled face?" Aron offered. Cassidy hummed and continued to think through her memory, "Not really..."

"Girl flower printed sweatshirt. Rode a moose back to the forest last year?" he continued, which lit the light bulb on Cassidy's mind.

"Oh _that_ Iliana! Quite an energetic girl, that one. Made the whole town anxious when she climbed on the back of that wild moose that strayed into the park" she explained. Jamie's lips curled upwards, it wasn't hard to imagine that Iliana would try and do something like that.

"So that's where you've been" his mom exclaimed, "Did you two have fun?"

"Well, she invited me to her house. Her grandma knows a good story or two" he answered before he met Aron's steady gaze.

"Iliana's a lovely girl" Cassidy said, "Always smiling at everyone. Did you know that her father's a folk music producer?"

"_It was bit strange to find someone who's interested with folk music_" Aron said in fluid Swedish.

Just then, Cassidy clapped her hands together, "Why don't we invite Iliana for dinner tomorrow? I can just ask her father's permission tomorrow since we're going to go to the mall! His studio's right on the top floor" she explained when she saw Jamie's questioned expression."

"That's a great idea" his mom agreed, "That way, Jamie won't run around the town all the time and Sophie will have a new playmate."

"You better not explore on your own these days Jamie-darling" Cassidy warned, "The kidnapper is still on the loose. Frankly I think it's an international crime syndicate behind this"

"It is truly troubling" Aron muttered, his face was grave "But in times like this" his eyes suddenly fell on the young boy, "There is always light that will keep the darkness at bay."

"Dad you're talking weird again"

For the first time, Jamie clearly heard Erik's voice. The teen's deep tone was laced with irritation and embarrassment like how a kid would whine when their dad would try to crack a joke to their friends.

"Oh Erik" Cassidy sighed as she shook her head.

His mom cleared her throat to diffuse the slowly souring mood with a rather embarrassing comment of her own, "So, is this Iliana pretty?" she asked, her grin widened as Jamie's cheeks grew hot.

"Mom!" he yelled

Cassidy and even Aron laughed at his rattled state. "Don't tease the boy!" Cassidy clucked, her shoulders still shook as she kept her laughter down.

"What? I for one think it's sweet to have a crush at twelve."

"You started much earlier, you were six."

"Cassie that was you!"

"No it wasn't- Wait, that's right!"

He sighed and shook his head; and they say that adults were all mature.

As Jamie reached for the catsup, his eyes met Erik's and he felt himself shrink under the older boy's hard gaze. He didn't know what he had done to receive such an intense dislike from someone he barely knew but he can't help but wonder why Aron was regarding him with a purposeful gaze.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>_

The bells that were tied on the ends of the elves' hats and shoes started to grate on Jack's nerves. He took a deep breath, letting the thick, cold air trailed through his throat as he stood on top of the roof. The wind swept across his unruly hair and it cooled his face, it was stuffy inside and he needed to breathe.

True to her word, Sunsh- _Elsa_ really wanted to be alone for a while and he knew better than to push her. She was in a fragile state right now. A single misplaced comment might blow her fuse and he knew that North's barrier can only detain her within a period. The weight of the photograph in his pocket was as light as a cotton puff but it suddenly weighed like a ton.

He supposed he could ask Olaf since the snowman knew her so well but there was a reason why she didn't want anyone to know of her past. He wanted her to tell him why. Why she closed herself from something that was as precious as memories are.

He could ask Tooth, which was his plan after all. But somehow; acting upon it was similar to trespassing. She will tell him when she's ready... which might be in a century or two. He grabbed the edge of the roof and jumped down to enter the window. The gust of icy winds and snow entered the room, which caused North's disapproving scowl. Olaf was busy tinkering with the unfinished train model where a group of elves glared at the snowman for interrupting with their 'work'.

"Jack, use the front door, not windows like cat burglar!" he lectured though he knew it would only fall on deaf ears. He managed to talk to North about pleading with Sun- _Elsa_'s case with them if she will fully cooperate.

"It's easier to get in through a window" he replied before he exited North's study and headed to Elsa's detainment room. As usual, her back faced him and her legs were folded under her with disciplined posture as though she was a mannequin.

"Hey Sunshine" he greeted.

Silence greeted him back but he thought none of it. He sat with his back against the barrier and stared at the fire that endlessly burned the wood. His eyes followed the embers that sparked and danced aimlessly with the stray breeze.

He looked over his shoulder and let a small beam play on his lips for a bit when he saw her shift from the uncomfortable position; she wasn't made of stone after all. Fluff's song began to echo in his brain and the notes escaped his lips.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly "I thought you're still on your hunting mission."

"Just wanna see how you're doing. Plus, everything's quiet in my end" he answered.

"You were here yesterday" she reminded him "I doubt the state would be any more different."

"Well, every day in a new day. You won't even say a word to me yesterday and the day before that so I guess it's progress" he shrugged.

He heard her sigh and the rustle of her clothes sounded close. Jack peeled himself from the barrier and saw her placed her hands on the ground. Then he noticed something missing

"Hey, your gloves are gone" he noted.

She said nothing and continued to stare at the wall. There she goes again, ignoring him to the full extent. But she talked to him, granted it was short and terse, but it was a good sign. It meant that she was lowering her guard; maybe she was exhausted with that old Snow Queen front of hers. When North told him about their... meeting with Sunsh- _Elsa_; she introduced herself as the 'Snow Queen'. And before then, Jamie told him that the kidnapper was the same fairy tale character, something inside him flared up. A forbidding emotion that sprang up like the fury of a snowstorm, unpredictable, untamed. Because he knew somewhere deep inside him; he knew Jamie was talking about her even if he had never met her before.

He never once suspected her of doing such an evil thing. But... he can't deny that he was suspicious with her relation with Pitch. He was more than familiar with the castle by the fjord; he spoke about her with ease, like an old friend. He didn't mention her by name but the way he talked in confidence was enough to confirm it.

He didn't like the idea of Pitch hanging around her. There's a good chance that he will want Elsa's power for himself, like how he once offered him but he knew that Pitch was the type who will not share power to anyone. He might have felt sorry for Pitch because he knew the loneliness and the desperation to be believed in, but Pitch made his choice.

There's no one to blame but himself; he chose that path and persuaded Jack to do the same but he found his center. He found the very meaning of his existence by giving fun for children and everyone else. It gave him the path to follow, and he wanted Elsa to find hers, so she can be free of the secret burden she carried.

He had never seen someone so confused, so alone, so... afraid. She was so vibrant and even playful when they were in Östersund but now, she returned to her cold self, even colder if that's possible. But he was determined to bring the Sunshine he knew in Sweden, even if it meant that he will drag her out of that cave of stubbornness which was called pride.

An ear-splitting sound blared all over the workshop.

Jack automatically stood up and grabbed his staff. Elsa stood up as well and a frown covered her face. "What was that?" she asked.

His eyes narrowed as he moved towards the door, and replied in a single word, "Trouble."

* * *

><p><strong><em>-;-<em>**

Bunnymund swiftly hopped from roof to roof; his ears were on high alert and the smell on the air was crisp. He wasn't in his assigned territory but while everyone was too busy playing twenty questions with the snow girl, the kidnapper continued his activities, leaving a trail of hopelessness and fear in his wake.

He knew his temper got the best outta him but hearing about how Frost was getting too attached with the Bennett kid and now that Katherine's grandson got mixed up into the formula... he didn't know how to handle it all.

Jamie and Frost's relationship were like Kathryn and Nightlight's except the latter pair's were more... intimate. But the problem was still there. Katherine's human and Nightlight was a spirit, two beings that can't hang on together for all time, it was an accident waiting to happen.

There were no war, no accidents or disturbing events but there was an enemy that no one can defeat; time.

Katherine had to grow up. She may be an honorary guardian but she was still human. The Mother Goose had to return to her life back as a human and it greatly saddened Nightlight.

As years passed, the once bright and cheerful spirit's light waned. It grew worse as every season ended and the last they have seen their comrade was a tiny shard of starlight and his staff lay on the floor in splinters and the diamond dagger, gone. The moon was silent though North said that Manny was grieving.

And though he wasn't as close to Nightlight as Katherine was; it was still a painful blow for him. The spirit was silent but his smiles spoke a thousand words of hope and happiness. And the disappearance of the spirit was something he can't go through with again.

Then, Jack Frost happened to them.

They all encountered him in a different manner. With him, it was after an Easter egg hunt. He found a white haired spirit who looked eerily like Nightlight that he almost mistook him for their old comrade. When Bunny approached him; he was the opposite of his old friend. He was arrogant and impulsive; almost the same as human teenagers who will do what they want because they answer to no one.

But he showed them that he can be a team player and of course he saw Jack's determination to protect the children and his loyalty to their cause was unmatched.

But then, as North had told him secrecy, the youngest Guardian had spent almost every waking moment with Jamie. He had nothing against the kid and his sister was a real sugar cube but the way he hovers around him was similar to Nightlight's that it too close to home. And Bunny can't help but question Jack's loyalty and he didn't know if the _hoon_ understood the gravity of the situation.

Jack treated everything like a game. His center rotated around everything that was fun; even if it caused some mess that he didn't even bother to clean up. Like the snow in Vietnam and the sudden blanket of white in Egypt. He was essentially a teenager but the kid needed to do some growing up.

And that Snow Queen problem. He personally had nothing against the woman but she posed as a threat. A threat to everything they worked so hard to protect. He had looked into those piercing blue eyes and found anger, resentment but at one point he also found pain and fear. She was fierce and more than capable of handling her own especially during their bout on the mountains. The ice she produced was more dangerous than Jack's; it was colder, filled with emotions they can't comprehend. His temper flared when Jack jumped in to save her like a knight in a blue hoodie.

So that's how it was? Jack says she's clean so she's free to go? Not under his watch. Countless children went missing; hope dimmed and their lives hung in a balance. They were lost and their only lead was a tiny ice crystal that never melts and unless Jack would take the blame on himself, the Snow Queen was right on top of the extremely short list.

Bunnymund's ears twitched as he heard a sound that came from the quiet street of 133a. He jumped silently through the shadowed yards and halted at a white house with gray roof slates. There was a small yapping that came from the second floor window. A small schnauzer was pawing at the window and barked at him incessantly.

He hated dogs; those irritable little bite machine were always chasing him but they can't keep up with his speed. There was a voice coming from the window as well and he hid behind a tree.

A small boy, no older than four peeked from behind the curtains to see what spooked his dog. His dark brown hair contrasted with the orange night light and Bunny flinched when the kid climbed on a surface to open the window.

'Where's that ankle-biter's parents?!' he cried in his mind.

Thankfully, the windows were locked shut so he can't open it. Bunny looked at the boy's face; round with watery blue eyes. It was the picture of innocence that he vowed to protect. For them to believe in him; it wasn't just for him to continue existing. It felt good that someone out there believed in him, appreciating his hard work and with that; his heart swelled whenever a small lonely kid would find a colourful egg and a smile would tug his lips.

It was a sign of hope.

Hope that everything will get better, hope that in some way, it was the smallest things will make the biggest changes of all.

A scratching sound was heard from behind him. Quickly, he grabbed his boomerangs and commenced into his attack position. His nose smelled the scent of smoke like a small bushfire but this one seemed to trail into his body and squeezed the air from his lungs.

The yapping of the dog was all but quiet yet everyone else weren't disturbed. But how can that be?

Then, he heard it.

A hypnotizing sound of a pipe flooded his ears. Everything around him started to move in random directions and the music sucked him into a vortex of colours and indistinct shapes. Sudden shrills pained his ears like someone playing the fiddle with a chainsaw. He was brought to his knees but clenched his boomerangs tight.

He heard a door open behind him but it sounded so far away. Amidst the blurred shapes and dizzying colours; he managed to make out a small figure with a fuzz of brown wearing a blue onesies.

"Kid" he hissed through clenched teeth, "Get... get outta here".

A swirl of shadows began to open and a tall striking figure appeared in front of the boy. There were no lights, no help from the moon as its rays waned into a weak sliver of light. The child walked directly into the portal and the darkness swallowed him whole.

An enraged shout escaped from Bunnymund's mouth. He shook his head violently in an attempt to drown out the haunting melody and charged at the man with intent to destroy him.

The figure merely waved a hand before Bunnymund flew to the tree, knocking the air out of his body. He spat out a curse and wiped the trickle of blood that flowed from the corner of his mouth. He tried his luck again; honing all his speed and agility to subdue his foe but he was cast aside like an old toy.

"Like it?"

The figure asked; the voice was painfully familiar. How can he have been so blind? The shadows were a dead giveaway but what he can't figure out was how Pitch Black managed to hypnotize kids and produce that awful sound.

"You little- Ack!"

His insult ran short when a band of black smoke encircled his chest and neck tightened around him. He moved his paws and feet but found them bound by the same black smoke.

"Oh you've got to admit that this is impressive" Pitch cackled as he glided to Bunnymund's side. "Whenever I gain a certain amount of strength, I can create more shadows and make them more powerful. It's kind of like a game. You like games, don't you?" he taunted, smirking at Bunnymund's venomous glare.

"Oh, it was Jack Frost who loved games" he said, calmness echoed in his voice like he was at peace. Bunnymund wriggled to free himself from the shadow's grip; his bombs were tied on his belt buckle, not far from where his paws were bound.

"What are you planning to do Pitch?" he wheezed, his eyes started to darken as consciousness and Pitch leaned down with a mocking smirk on his pointed face, "Wasn't it you who said 'There is a time for everything and everything has its time'? I didn't take you for a hypocrite, but I was correct to take you for a fool. Tell me, Easter Bunny… Are you afraid of the dark?"

Bunny fought with all his willpower to keep himself awake but darkness swallowed him and then, all he can see, hear, smell and feel vanished within a few seconds.

He was in a void.

No light, no sound, not a single of life existed.

He looked down at his paws to grab his weapons or maybe throw a bomb to create an imitation of light but his paws were gone, so was his body. He became nothing.

A shadow.

He screamed loudly but there was no sound. His voice was muted and the haunting silence stayed with him, not knowing how he could escape the darkness.

Desperation clawed into his brain, trying to find a way out, to tell his fellow Guardians who the perp was. But he was trapped, and he finally had an answer to Pitch's question.

He was terrified of the dark.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>_

Jack left the door open as he jumped over the rail and floated down to the ground level where North and Olaf looked at the screen. Tooth and Sandy had arrived as well after North had summoned them with the Northern light. Tooth looked around and noticed the absence of their grumpy friend.

"Where's Bunny?"

Just then, a beam of silver descended from the sky and focused its glare at the globe. It focused on the state of North America, in Canada to be more precise. A single light suddenly went out and Jack's heart dropped. Another missing kid. He was about to tell North when the burly Guardian uttered the words, "Surrey, 133a Street" He threw the ball on the ground where a vision of a quiet neighbourhood stood in front of them. Tooth clenched her hands and nodded to her fairies who nodded back. Sandy conjured up his gold whip and North placed his scabbards on his belt, securing them in place.

Jack stole one last look at Elsa's door before he jumped into the portal with the others. Between the warmth and bright lights of North's workshop, found themselves in the middle of a backyard. There, under the tree where a nest of a robin was placed, was their fallen friend. Bunny lay on the grass, his paws were on his side and his boomerangs were thrown to the farthest corner.

They all jumped when they heard footsteps coming from the door. The small flap on the door opened and a bearded head of a dog appeared. Its brown eyes surveyed the area and growled at the strangers. North heaved the unconscious Bunny over his shoulder as Sandy threw a ball of his dreamsand to the dog's head, effectively stopping it on its tracks and images of bones danced above it.

"Bunny! Wake up!" North yelled as they placed him against the tree.

He wasn't stirring; he was death cold; almost lifeless except for the rise and fall of his chest and his quiet groans.

"What could have done this?" Tooth gasped as she held on to his large paw; concern covered her heart-shaped face. Jack flew to the house; everything was quiet except for the ticking of a clock down by the hallway. He glided to the second floor where the loud snores came from the hall on his right. There were three doors on the opposite side, one was left ajar. With his guard up, he flew silently to the opened door and found an empty room. It was obviously a boy's room.

There were pads of childish drawings that were all pinned on a cork board. Rows of dinosaurs and rocket ship figurines were stacked and the windows were locked. A pair of small bunny slippers was left on the rug, like they were kicked off impatiently.

The problem was; there was no child in this room. Jack seethed internally; they were too late. His irritation made him unknowingly summon a chill that crept into the house. He heard a loud sneeze from the room next to this one. With the speed of the wind, he exited the house and rushed to the other Guardians.

"Guys, the kidnapper-"

"Yes Jack" North nodded gravely, "He has struck again and now; he harmed one of us."

* * *

><p><strong><em>-;-<em>**

There was a commotion outside. Elsa's eyebrows furrowed as she placed a hand against the barrier and tried to see anything beyond the small space between the door and its frame. Elves were running by her door and the grunts and growls of the Yetis echoed as a blinding flash of light flooded outside.

The light cut off her sight for moment, leading her to rub the pain out before she heard frantic voices. It seemed that Jack was right, there indeed was trouble.

Elsa could hear their voices echo with worry, confusion and frustration. Had the kidnapper eluded them again? Footsteps began to lead to her room; she walked away from the barrier and planted herself against the wall with her hands on her lap. The door opened and in came Santa Claus; a sad expression clouded his usually intimidating face and he gave out a deep sigh. It was like watching an old man rest after walking for miles on end.

"The kidnapper... attacked Bunny" he announced.

At first, she was confused. Why would they think she would be concerned with his welfare? But then it quickly gave her hope; it meant that she wasn't the perpetrator and they will let her go and never bother her again. But she was only half correct.

"Snow Queen" he addressed her, "We have made a mistake and we apologize."

Elsa felt there was a 'But' about to come and Santa Claus continued promptly as if he had read her mind.

"_But_ now; it had attacked Bunnymund and with that; a considerable amount of power was lessened for us. I have a proposition for you-"

"You're going to ask me to fight for you" she concluded. This was just another dead end; she will be a pawn for them. Use her as a puppet to fight against the kidnapper. But she also can't help but feel sympathy for them as well.

They tried so hard to protect the children around the world; for them, this was not a job but rather the purpose of their existence, why they continued to fight.

"No, not for us" Santa Claus shook his graying head. He took out his scabbards from their sheathes, making her flinch and put her hand in defence, before he laid them down and looked at her deep into her eyes.

His eyes were... big.

They were blue like Jack's but the unlike his sharp blue ones; Santa Claus' were as blue as the vast sky on a summer's day. They were clear and full of life; the inquisitive nature in them made her think of a curious child who would tinker with unrecognizable things just to see what they can do.

He breathed slowly and said, "We would like to ask for your help. We won't ask you to be a Guardian nor be under our command; we implore you to fight with us."

"You have imprisoned me and threatened me harm. Why do you think I will be willing to help you?" she challenged. She was uncomfortable with this. If Pitch would catch wind of the news, which somehow he always does, then he will target her as well.

Santa Claus had nothing to respond, trying to think of one good reason why she would indeed owe them a favour, especially after the Easter Bunny and the Sandman attacked her and they, unwittingly, destroyed the wall of secrecy she had kept for years.

"Because you're not heartless" a voice intervened.

They both turned their attention to Jack Frost. His hood was placed on his head and his staff on hand. There weren't any playful banters or cheeky greetings; because things were now serious for them.

Personal.

"I know you're still mad but I doubt you're going to let the kids suffer just because you have a temper tantrum. You _do_ care about everyone else and I know you'll stop him if you found out who or what it was. Elsa, _please_."

The way he said the word 'please' was sincere and heartfelt. When she looked at him; a searing pain sliced across her chest. It was like her heart was stabbed by thousands of blades and the pain intensified as his eyes darkened with concern at the expression of agony reflected on her face.

Elsa pushed herself away from him and turned her backs on them to clench the middle of her chest.

It hurts…

It hurts so much…

There was a buzz on her ear as she dropped to her knees and clenched her eyes shut. The ice within her began to stir; demanding to be released, to unleash its fury. On the back of her head, she thought she heard a glass crash, echoing through her ears. Finally, a burst of energy came forth and for the first time since she got here, her powers returned to her in the form of ice needles that crawled across the floor and the ceiling.

She let out a shout as the pain spread from the area of her heart to her entire chest. A pair of arms encircled her, a fragment of a second passed when she felt safe, felt at peace. She forced her eyes to open and stared up at the pair of light blue eyes.

Eyes that shone like blue ice crystals.

Then, everything went dark.

* * *

><p>The sound of a cheerful fire crackling awoke her. Her eyelids flew open and she was greeted by the sight of the ceiling. There was a soft tinkle of a bell on her left and she slightly turned her head to see two elves sneaking a sip on a steaming white mug. She returned her sights to the ceiling before she realized that she wasn't in the same room, because there wasn't a bed in her prison.<p>

Now her head lay on a thick and fluffy pillow and a blanket was pulled to her chin. It was... warm. Cozy, was a more correct term; the spicy smell of cinnamon lingered and teased her tongue and the sounds of the fire that came from the hearth reminded her of Arendelle.

The door opened unceremoniously and the elves must have dropped the cup in surprise because the sound of something heavy dropped on the floor.

"Hey" Jack softly greeted a small smile on his face.

"What happened?" she asked as she tried to sit up. But her surroundings had begun to spin around before she felt a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back to the bed. "Take it easy" he chastised, "You passed out. North said that it'd be better for you to ease it off before running out and freeze stuff again" he ended with a light-hearted tone.

Elsa looked at him with half-closed eyes. Maybe it was because that if she stared at him with all her attention, the pain would return.

"Someone wants to see you" Jack continued.

The door opened again and this time Olaf waddled through the threshold and gasped when he saw that she was awake. "Elsa!" he cried happily and ran to her. His pine cone nose was gone and was replaced with a carrot again; no doubt he swiped it from Santa Claus' reindeer.

"I'll be outside of you need me" Jack said as he lifted his hand from her shoulder and left. Funny, her suddenly shoulder felt cold after he took off his hand. A secretive side of her wished his touch had lingered a bit longer before her rational mind squashed the thought away.

"How are you feeling?" Olaf asked as he sat on a footstool; his flurry continued to puff out the snow; thicker than her own snowflakes. She shifted her position so she can lie on her side and placed a hand under the pillow.

"I'm fine, yet I'm in a bind again. The Guardians were now convinced that I'm not the kidnapper but they asked for my help to fight the culprit" she explained.

"Then let's help them" Olaf exclaimed, "They're really nice. Sandman's a riot!" he chuckled as he swung his small snow feet back and forth.

"It won't be easy Olaf" she sighed, "I don't want to fight anyone. I just want to be alone, to be free."

"But what about the kids?"

"They can do this Olaf without my help. They're more powerful than me so they can figure this out but for me," she sat up and lifted her hands to look at them, "I can't even control my emotions. Everyone else will be in danger because of me. You saw that snowstorm earlier didn't you?"

Olaf shook his head, "I was following everyone else. They placed the big bunny on a bed and tried to fix 'im up."

"The point is that I can't help but be afraid of..."

"What? What are you afraid of?" he questioned.

Elsa sighed and shook her head, "Never mind. All I have to do now is regain my strength so we can finally get out of this place." She expected him to cheer for the thought of returning home, back to the North Mountain with his baby brother but instead, he was hesitant.

She lay in the bed and closed her eyes for an hour or so before she found the strength to stand again but Olaf seemed to have left her. Elsa walked out of the room and cautiously peeked behind the door. Her breath hitched.

Hundreds upon hundreds of toys and knick-knacks littered the entire place. There were bubbles and flying aeroplanes that glided through the air. The yetis painted and put together different items while the elves played with what looked like a slimy pile of green goo which was... interesting.

She walked out and was prepare for an assault before she realized that no one paid any attention to her. All of them were too busy with their task. The heels of her shoes clacked on the wooden floor as she wandered around the place.

"I'm really inside Santa Claus' workshop" she breathed out. She could just imagine what Anna's face would look like she was here...

There was a lift on the farthest side of the floor she was on so she stepped into it and pressed the green button. She wobbled for a second as the machine jerked before it began to move down. Multiple lower levels were the same sight; elves, toys, yetis. Finally the lift stopped at the bottom floor where a giant golden globe sat on a podium. Thousands of tiny lights were on every continent. Elsa moved closer to see if Arendelle was there as well but that area was dark, empty.

Behind the globe, she can hear the Guardian's voices. She carefully hid by the shadows and listened to their conversation. It was rude to eavesdrop but she deemed that manners were the last thing she should be concerned about.

"-but what if she's not going to help us?" The Tooth Fairy asked little carbon copies of her chirped and squeaked amongst each other, flitting on the air like restless birds in the presence of danger.

"We can't force her to do it" Jack said, "Just give me time to talk to her."

"How can you be sure Snow Queen would listen?" Santa Claus asked, "She clearly doesn't want to fight but we need her strength. With Bunny out of picture, we are now in bigger trouble."

"Jack," the Tooth Fairy turned to him. Somehow, seeing the female Guardian regard Jack with large purple doe-eyes made Elsa feel annoyed. "I don't know about this. She knows she can choose not to help us because it isn't her obligation."

"Because she knows it's the right thing to do" Jack quickly jumped to her defense, "You don't know Sunshine like I do!"

He called her 'Sunshine' again, and she wasn't the only one who seemed to notice because the Tooth Fairy's feathered shoulders slightly slumped.

"Jack, I'm not saying she's evil. But think of the situation we're in Jack. We need her, I'm not sure if Bunny could recover fast enough to join a fight again."

"And remember the children Jack" Tooth Fairy gently reminded him, gesturing the globe with her elegant hand. Elsa hid behind the globe as the Tooth Fairy flew to the statue and softly touched the lights.

"They need us. We have to help them find their way back to the light. They're scared, alone and lost in this world; and there's no one to help them but us."

The words swayed Elsa's resolve to escape this whirlwind of troubles. If she was having a terrible time; the missing children were having a hundred times worst moment of their lives.

Being away from your family, trapped in a place where no one can find you.

Elsa can understand.

She knew isolation, the pain of being alone, silence that ate her heart but the difference was that she chose the world of loneliness. But they didn't.

They were taken away, away from their family.

From the people they loved.

"What should I do?" Jack sighed, his hand squeezed his staff. She held her chin up and walked out of the shadows and into the sunlight; her dress and the crystals on her hair glistened and her cape trapped the light like diamonds. Her blue eyes were filled with determination. She felt the pinch of hesitation and fear but she covered them with a brave front.

"All you have to do is ask again" she told Jack and he gave her a wide beam, his pure white teeth were exposed and his eyes brightened in a lighter shade of blue. She flinched slightly at the vice-like grip that squeezed her heart but she ignored it; after all, she just liked him. Nothing more than mere infatuation that will go away.

_**-;-**_

* * *

><p>AN: So I made Pitch Black kidnap my little brother. I hope my mom won't read this story and tell me "Why the hell would you tell people where we live?!" xP Anyways I'm all hopped up with coffee. It's 3 in the morning here and I'm gonna go camping with my friends in the park so no electricity for a day and a half.

To all Guardians book readers: Yes, I'm aware that Nightlight became a real adolescent boy after giving Katherine the 'Kiss of Goodnight' and they're kinda like an item BUT I'm changing it okay?

I wanna thank everyone for their kind words and encouragement. You guys really know how to cheer a girl up! x3 I want to personally thank _VAndreaMars_ and _sweetangel014_ for your empowering PMs and inspirational words.

Here's a round of applause for the reviewers of the last chapter:

AvatarFreak17 : Whenever I reread your reviews, it always cheered me up because I'm comforted that there might be someone out there that supported this story and to hear that you've experienced what I've gone through, it was like I've found a kindred spirit amidst a sea of strangers.I have to admit, I had contemplated on putting this in indefinite hiatus but it wouldn't be right because that would mean that I surrendered to my weakness and would never let you guys down just because of that weakness. Supportive and courageous people like you were my inspiration and the driving force of this story. And to be told that you've recommended this to other readers… was simply amazing for someone like me. So with that; Thank You.

And thanks for commenting at the reference, I lol'ed as well when I read it aloud.

Olivia (guest)

reluctant-persona: Thanks for those words sweetie :') I guess I was too obsessed with their characterization that I almost forgot that it should compliment the story, not from the movie they were based upon.

Miss Anly

Anon (Guest)

BEASBeth: You certainly hit the nail on the head with what I felt. The pressure was so heavy that I was the worst critic of my own works. To know that you're a fan of this really warmed my heart and I wish I can phase into the computer and give you a big hug :)

rokusan23: Hahaha, I think you have. Well technically I guess not anymore since I took more of the Canadian/Greek/Irish side of my parents and my mom's half-Chinese and Half-Filipino so I guess I'm a multi-culture person. Thanks for the advice :)

Anon (Guest)

Maict

imafangirlforever

sydvan23

Antiform

LisIVI: I tried to make Iliana's characterization to your liking and good thing it did! Hahaha imagine Olaf singing along while Jack's at the background thinking, 'What the heck's going on?' But thanks for that and I really wanna know what you think of Iliana and the Bjorgman family so far :)

AngelDevilsXx: Thanks for the pick-me-up sweetie :)

Random (guest): Aww you made the writer in me squeal like a little girl. And to know that you didn't like this couple from the start just made my heart flutter and to know that my writing evoked tears, was simply unreal. To honour you, I will incorporate that idea into a small scene in future chapters I promise you that.

I would like to thank you all for your love and support. I now promise to finish this story not just for myself but for everyone that believed in this story's potential. I hope all of you guys will stick with me til the end and I wish you will all enjoy the ride.

PS, What is your favourite scene in this chapter?

Read and Review please. I wanna know your thoughts, your feelings and questions. I'm free to PM just leave a cute li'l note and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.


	19. To Repair and To Strengthen

**_Finne Min Senter_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter Nineteen<em>**  
><strong><em>To Repair and to Strengthen<em>**

* * *

><p><strong><em>-;-<em>**

It was awkward to stand next to her former captors as Santa Claus, also known as Nicholas St. North, mapped out the areas where the children was taken. Each country had lost a child or two and it was nearing to a hundred. She crossed her arms in a business-like manner and listened intently at their plans to trap the kidnapper.

The Easter Bunny's condition stayed the same. He was still unconscious and always gasped and groan; no indications as to what and who could have done this to him, much to his friends' displeasure. Elsa bristled when Jack had placed a hand of comfort to Tooth Fairy's shoulder when the Guardian fretted for their friend's wellbeing. It was like looking in the mirror of the moment she shared with Jack at the frozen lake; Tooth Fairy's cheeks flared before Jack dropped his hand and returned his attention to the large man.

Elsa suddenly punished herself with the most shaming lecture; why should she feel jealousy? It was not as if they had a relationship to speak of, in fact; they can just frolic in front of her hand-in-hand for all she cared.

She snapped back to her disciplined mindset. She's not here to make friends or get reacquainted with anyone; she was just there to help the children. After this, she will be gone from their radar, invisible to both the human and spirit world.

North rubbed a hand on his beard and addressed her, "We have split up into groups but the culprit is crafty, always five steps ahead of us. It knows when to strike and now we know it is strong enough to defeat Bunny."

She cupped her chin, "Have you faced a foe with this kind of ability?"

"No" he said as he shook his head. He pressed a button that projected an image from the floor and it spread across the room, each country was clearly depicted and Elsa can see Arendelle's territory up close. Little by little, red dots appeared within the countries.

"These were the countries the children were taken from" Tooth Fairy explained in a soft voice. Elsa's eyes softened as she can't imagine the torment the parents were experiencing at that moment. To find your beloved son or daughter missing from your home; it was something that will turn your life upside down.

"I think we can scout again but I fear we have no clue on where the scoundrel will strike next. Snow Queen," he gestured to her, "Can we trust you to help us with our mission?"

"I will do all I can" she answered.

"Great!" Jack suddenly piped in, "Then let's get started" he exclaimed as he placed his staff over his shoulders.. Elsa rose a brow at him and crossed her arms, "Start for... what exactly?"

"We're on sentry duty" he stated.

"Oh, then which country should I guard?" she asked North. But before the older man can answer, Jack shrugged and said "You're gonna have to stick with me for a while."

Elsa stared at him, her face was blank and she took a calming breath before she said, _"What?"_

* * *

><p>"Hey I didn't make the arrangements, North did" Jack called out after her as they flew over a sleepy town in Hungary. Small puffs of smoke exited from several chimneys and the sun had just started to peak beyond the trees. The air was cool and moist and everything was normal. Except for the two spirits who hovered above the roofs of the houses, a thin sheet of frost and snow covered the slates. Spring was upon the town and Jack was grateful that the natural snow covered their presence.<p>

Finally, Elsa stopped on the brick red roof and sat by the edge with her mouth forming a thin line. She could hear Jack's faint footsteps behind her, deliberately making some noise so that she won't get spooked. There was always something he says or does that sets her on the edge. For one thing, she still hadn't entirely believed that he didn't spill her secret. Goodness knows she had a lot in her plate and she'd never thought that she will have to stay with him. Elsa can't help but feel like a criminal who was placed under probation.

There was a shadow over her face and when she looked up, she saw him leaning over her with a mocking grin, "You really don't want me around you that much?"

Elsa shook her head and hastily stood up, "I'm here for the children, not to fly around the world with you." Well aware on how cold she was being, Elsa knew that this would keep his distance away from her. The pain that burst from her heart had returned with a vengeance, something she never wanted to experience again. The very reason why she froze her heart was to never feel love again, never experienced the pain of being left behind. The agony of knowing that somehow, everything will be taken away and will leave you in the dust, alone, forgotten.

A patch of ice suddenly appeared under her feet and made her slip. She fell backwards and a breathless gasp escaped her throat and found that he had caught her by the shoulders. She cast him a venomous glare as he took a couple of steps back, reminding him her aversion to any physical contact.

She was now conscious with his presence even more than before. Even when she poured out all her anger and hatred to him over their period of separation; she found herself thinking about him. It didn't really matter to her before but the throes of agony from earlier made her rethink that theory otherwise.

For all the time she existed (the term 'lived' wasn't exactly accurate for her to use), she had never experienced the wonders of love for the opposite gender. The closest male she ever had a sort of relation with was her father and he was already exempted in that particular category. At first, she just thought it was because she was too busy running a kingdom. But after numerous parties and gathering with a line of suitors outside the castle gates; she began to wonder if there was something wrong with her.

Anna had Kristoff, the whole episode with Hans had really matured her outlook on romantic love and Olaf had chimed that he helped as well, which her sister confirmed. What was it with that kind of love that left everyone else yearn for it? The young queen had only expressed one type of true love and that was for her sister. Anna was her confidante, her best friend; the only one she would let in through her cold walls. True, she had 'lightened up' after the great thaw but there was still a touch of alienation with her and the outside world. To open up to another being who wasn't Anna was a scary thought; vulnerability and being caught with her guard down was something she wasn't keen to share with someone else.

All the men who tried to woo her seem to be nothing more than a waste of her time. Most of them hailed from other kingdoms with the intent to either gain the throne by marriage or to see for themselves the ice queen who had accidentally frozen her kingdom, thinking that they can make it past her poised visage and claim her as theirs. She didn't need to accept their courtship to know what they really were; disciplined charm and trained charisma oozed from their skin, subtle seduction with handsome faces and some had tried to dazzle her with the proclamation of their wealth with gold and lands.

All of which she, and Arendelle, did not need.

For Elsa, love was a gamble. Anna was the luckiest one with love. Kristoff may not have a title but he was brave and she can see through his actions that he adored Anna; even when they have their squabbles every now and then. Elsa once asked Anna how she still managed to stay with him after a rather big spat. All her sister did was smile at her and said,

"When you love someone, you both have to give up your pride and accept each other's flaws. Most of the time, Kristoff and I just apologize to each other... even if it's his fault!"

Then she would spot them walking by the square hand in hand again with a big smile on their faces. It was a sweet scene to witness but Elsa just shrugged off any opportunity to delve into the world of romance, much to the dismay of her advisers who anxiously waited for news that she had chosen a consort and bear an heir but sadly that day never came.

"Why are you so cold all of a sudden? No pun intended" Jack commented as she was pulled back to the present. He walked towards her with his head slightly tilted. The wind danced through his hair and she felt it caress her face, as if telling her to calm herself.

"It's... strange" her sober tone gained his full attention. "For the last few days, I'm so sure that you've broken your promise and... I don't..."

It was awkward to tell him that she wanted nothing more than to drive an icicle through him while she was in Arendelle but he shook his head and offered her a kind grin.

Elsa was struck with confusion; how can he still act so friendly towards her even when she acted so horrible to him? 'He's such a warm spirit' she thought. While he can be rather cocky and immature, she had never seen anyone so friendly with someone he just met and he really liked children; as what she had witnessed back in Sweden.

There was a moment of weakness where she thought they were connected in some way. And when he told her that he had died to save his sister... she knew. She had found a kindred bond with him that connected them other than ice and snow.

"We've done things we're not proud of. Especially when we're mad or scared but all we can do is get through it together, right?" he gave her an encouraging nod.

When he saw that she still hesitated, he jumped from the edge and rode the wind as he held out a hand to her, "Let's just start again."

"Start again?" she asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Like a clean slate, erase the mistakes and make a new start" he answered, leaning his hand to her closer.

This was a decision she had to make right then and there. If she declined it, it would mean that she will keep herself in the darkness, in the shadows of her stained past but it will protect him from the lingering evil that hid behind her. And if she took his hand, she will step into the light, gaining back her freedom. But they will be subjected to the storm inside her that raged out whenever it pleased.

_'But do you want to let fear control you?' _a voice whispered into her ear.

For a long time, she trained herself to be numb, unfeeling so that she can protect herself from Pitch's advances. There was an aura of hopelessness and fear whenever he approached her but she had never felt it except that little mishap in the cave.

"It's up to you, Sunshine."

Elsa looked at Jack, behind him; the sun's rays illuminate his body. The sun rays highlighted his hair to shine and heightened the silver accents and his whole body looked as if it was surrounded by a halo. From his snow covered sweater to his bare feet. He was... transcendent.

Handsome in an otherworldly manner and his blue eyes glowed with natural playfulness and good-natured mischief. With a rare burst of courage, Elsa reached out little by little, her hand neared to his larger one.

She took a step forward but forgot that Jack was floating on mid-air so when her foot met with air, her heart almost jumped to her throat. The ice around her came forth to aid her only to find herself staring up to his eyes. His left hand clamped around her right hand while his right arm encircled around her waist in a secured embrace.

"You have pretty eyes" he whispered and she felt the pain return again. But at that moment, she welcomed it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>_

_''You have pretty eyes'? Idiot!'_ he berated himself as he helped her get back on her feet. He watched a pink flush appear on her cheeks and thought that it wasn't that bad after all. But she was still reluctant with surrendering her suspicion with his intentions. He had to make a peace-offering but he didn't know her well enough to get what she liked; except that one thing she said back in the candy shop.

'What I would give for a chocolate-covered strawberry"

'Ding!' went the light bulb on top of his head. He held up a hand to her and began to fly away. "I'm gonna go get something, don't go anywhere alright?" He didn't hear her answer as he zoomed down through the streets. Weaving through the posts and avoiding people's heads was easy; the difficult part was to break into a candy shop. Unlike the shop he broken into, this one was well shut.

There were no openings and the windows were closed, no doubt there wasn't anyone in there because it was crack of dawn. Only the bakers and market sellers were awake that time. Then, he saw it.

A red bricked chimney stood just behind it, the absence of smoke was already good news for him; he just hoped North won't take this as an insult though. He rapped the windows gently with his staff to double-check if someone was in there. Maybe the owner or, even a thief (but he doubts a thief will take a lot of cash out of a candy store), was inside.

The chimney was dark and narrow but he had fallen on darker and tighter places so he was confident that he can get out of this one. For one thing; the chimney needs a good cleaning because it was filled with soot. His hair was covered with dust and there was a decent coating of soot all over his body.

He coughed and wiped his face with his sleeve, effectively smudging the coal dust to his face as he walked to the small store. Boxes of imported sweets were strewn to the sides and pyramids of chocolate bars were mounted on the shelves. It was every person with a raging sweet tooth's dream... and probably Tooth's nightmare. He browsed through numerous candies, deciphering them with his limited knowledge of the foreign language before he found what he was looking for.

Normally, he would just swipe a piece of peppermint or chocolates from the shops without thinking about it but Sunshine was too concerned about how a single piece of candy might force their business to bankrupt. It was a little prudish but at the same time endearing; a small thing got her all guilty.

The rustle of the forgotten photograph in his pockets had him thinking about what he was going to do about it. He can't just walk up to her with the photograph on hand and say, "Who's she?" He was already on thin ice with Sunshine and one wrong move can push him right back to square one. If he was going to gain back her trust and let him in; he will have to it the right way, not the easy way.

He returned his attention to the shelves and grabbed a package of strawberry-filled chocolate. Not exactly what she wanted but it was the best he do unless he went back to Sweden just to give her the same thing she tried the last time. With the packet on hand, he was ready to fly out before an image of Elsa frowning at him with disapproval popped into his head.

Jack let out a groan before he made a small figurine with his ice on the counter and jumped up the chimney. No doubt the shopkeeper will have a shock to find a mini ice sculpture of a toy monkey with a word of thanks on top of it on his counter and a missing packet of chocolate from their inventory.

Sunshine's eyes widened when he landed next to her; her gaze drank the sight of his soot-covered being as he tried to wipe some off his face. Before she could open her mouth, he presented the chocolate to her with a grin.

"What-"

"It's not a bribe" he interjected before she could say anything else "Take it more as a peace offering between you and the Guardians."

As she took the packet from his hand, she shyly thanked him and said, "We should share it. After all, you went through the trouble to get this for me."

But he declined "Nah, that's really for you. I'm more of a peppermint and bubble gum kind of guy."

"For all that it's worth, thank you""

The sound of the foil being open was deafening and he watched every second as she lifted the round sweet to her mouth and bit into it. He didn't know why but somehow, watching her eat was an enjoyable experience. Maybe it was because of her expressions that filled her usually poker face when she took that one bite. The way her eyes twinkled, her nose scrunched in a cute way and a breathtaking smile as she chewed it.

Jack leaned against his staff and watched her with content as she continued to take delicate bites to the treat but he had a feeling she would rather stuff it into her mouth in one bite. After she finished it, she absent-mindedly licked her fingertips which made him blush and looked away. There goes his hormones; the only thing that proved he was a human once was the raging testosterone that was miraculously brought to life when he first saw her in Sweden.

He cleared his throat rather loudly and shifted his weight from one foot to the other before she (finally) stopped cleaning her lips and fingers. She started to look around for something and Jack immediately knew what it was,

"Just leave it"

She stared at him like he'd lost his mind but he waved it off and placed his staff on his shoulder, "Since it's already morning here, we better head out to other countries"

Elsa sighed, "Jack, I need a favour."

He lifted a brow "Uh, sure?"

"I want to return to Sweden. I want to see what was left of my cave before..." she trailed off.

The words shook him.

Back to Sweden, back to where Jamie was and he realized how much he missed his friend. He had been so busy with the kidnapping and Sunshine, he forgot his best friend. He promised Jamie that he won't leave him and when the issue of Elsa dropped into his lap, he up and leaves him like yesterday's news.

He faced her and answered "I think it's a good idea."

* * *

><p>Flying beside Sunshine's snowstorm was a dangerous feat. Normally he would've welcomed it as a challenge but he remembered the strength of her magic and there was no telling whether he will be unscathed or he will end up being flung around the air like a ragdoll. Bits of hail and ice were being thrown at his direction and Jack can't help but wonder if it was intentional. They gained speed when the wind aided them (at Jack's request) as they traveled back across the mountain ridges. It'll be hard to have Sunshine accompany him to hotter climates because of her snowstorm. Imagine, a bright sunny day and there was a heat wave when a stray snowstorm happened cross in front if you. He wondered how she managed to travel without freaking anybody out.<p>

The familiar sight of the snow-capped mountains had given him a sense of nostalgia but not as much as he missed the twelve-year old brown-haired boy.

White was the only colour they could see and when Sunshine swooped to the corner of a solitary mountain. The entire wall disappeared and any indication that there was a cave in there was destroyed, tarnished beyond recognition.

He walked into the demolished cave and stared at the remains of Sunshine's old hideout. The bed, the ice furniture, the sculptures all of them were gone. His companion didn't say anything as she coolly walked through the snow; each step she made had constructed a flawless floor of ice. Her cape fluttered against the gale and the snow around her danced as she lifted her hands to the air and weaved in an invisible pattern. Each gesture was rewarded with a colourless wall of ice that stood as pillars.

The place repaired itself and all she had to do was make a couple of hand gestures. Finally, she lightly stomped at the middle of the area; snow dust jumped and floated in midair. She lifted her hands up like she was carrying something heavy before she flipped them and pushed her palms down. Thin strips of magenta and light blue lights flew down from her hands and ran across her ice. Jack jumped out of the lights' way as it sped across the floor and up to the ceiling.

And just like that, the cave was remade. Several mounds of snow remained but it was not really important to label it as a problem. He gave a low whistle as he glided his hand against the wall. Unlike before; the ice was almost colourless in contrast to the stormy grey ice she once used but it was still too cold for him.

She was downright incredible.

Every gesture she created was made with concentration and full focus but at the same time, it looked effortless. And Jack can swear that he can just watch her do it for hours and not get bored.

"Now" Elsa spoke up as she rubbed her hands together "I have to look for it"

"Look for what?" he asked.

"The doll" she answered "The _bird-woman_ said that there was a doll here that was from a little girl's possession."

Laughter bubbled from his stomach and he didn't bother to hide it. When she raised an inquisitive brow at him, he chuckled some more before he straightened up, "The _bird-lady's_ called Tooth, Sunshine."

She just stared at him before she walked passed him and began to sweep the stray mounds of snow on the corner. _'What was that?'_ he asked to himself as he went towards a pile of snow and casually swept his feet through it.

There were some sections of the cave that still needed cleaning up, like that thick patch of ice that was hidden in the corner. Curiosity pushed him to move to closer for inspection; he stared at the eyeless ice sculpture of himself. A complete replication of his own image was partially covered with snow; from the way his hair stood at the back of his head to the toes of his bare feet. Heat flooded his face and he almost dropped his staff.

He knew she sculpted things and usually they're animals and trees and faceless people but he never thought that she had taken the time to mold something with her ice and chose him as a model. And by the looks of the statue; it seemed she really paid attention to every little detail, she even managed to add some wrinkles to his clothes like it was made of fabric.

"Did you find any-" her question ended with a strangled gasp before she was right in front of him and waved her hands on the statue. The snow and ice instantly swallowed the sculpture into the wall.

_"What did you see?"_ she demanded.

He almost laughed at her face when he saw her reaction. Different hues of red splayed across her cheeks that spread to her neck, her eyes avoided his as she flattened herself against the wall as if the statue will escape its prison of thick ice.

"Nothing, nothing" he said but a smirk escaped his lips and it caused her blush to deepen even more.

"It was- That was just-"

He dropped his smirk and waited for her to calm down. But he can't get it out of his mind; the possibility of her liking him more than a friend had sent his brain into overdrive. Instead of teasing her, he suddenly felt conscious. It was like a rewind with their encounter back at their lake; he didn't know how he should react without embarrassing both of them.

Jack tugged at the neckline of his hoodie, half-expecting steam to puff out from his chest. It actually flattered him; it wasn't everyday a young woman with ice powers mold a realistic replica of him.

"Like I said, I didn't see anything. Promise!" he immediately added when she bit her lower lip and dropped her hands to her side.

"We should just- Let's forget about this and look for the doll" she said in a pleading tone and Jack was more than happy to divert his attention from that awkward moment. She gave out a sigh of relief before she walked past him, her gaze avoiding his, and resumed her search for the toy.

"What kind of doll are we looking for exactly?" he asked as he prodded his staff through the pile of white.

"I don't know, it just a plain doll made with cloth- oh!" she exclaimed before she bent down and held something black in her hands. He went to her and inspected the object; it was a worn sock doll with black yarn and brown buttons were stitched for the eyes. Somewhere, a little girl was missing her toy, he felt the love and warmth this doll had experienced in the hands of its owner resonate in his hand. This pushed his determination to find the children even more.

"I didn't know where it came from" Elsa explained, "Out of nowhere, it suddenly appeared on the floor."

Jack rubbed his chin with his knuckle, deep in thought. It was highly probable that it had been placed there with his radar pointing directly at Pitch. What he needed was some hard evidence and the shadow master's apparent motive. Elsa placed the doll on the end table and walked around her cave, the heels of her shoes clacked against the thick ice and her snowflake pattern imprinted themselves on every surface; as if branding the area as hers and hers alone.

It he didn't know any better, he'd think her ice was trying to push him out of the picture as it nipped at his feet and a puff of mist escaped his mouth. Funny, for him to feel the cold while he controlled it was somewhat ironic but then again, this wasn't his creation and her powers seemed to have a mind of its own.

_-Jack-_

He jolted when he mentally thought of Jamie's voice calling out to him. This was pathetic, he was a coward who can't face his best friend and apologize with his knees on the ground. How cruel was he to leave a friend when he promised he wouldn't. He can't excuse his absence under the premise of sentry duty under his job as a Guardian. He rowed his hair with his fingertips; wondering how his friend was faring. They arrived in Sweden two months ago and this was the last one before Jamie and his family returns to America. He stared at the floor, feet numb yet mind running in a furious pace, hardly an alarming feat for him. Jack Frost wasn't always about fun and games; there were rare moments that were filled with silence as he poured out his thoughts in the audience of one, himself.

Pondering matters over wasn't unusual for him (though Bunny would beg to differ) and his perspective of things added a new angle of figuring solutions or seeing everything differently; like how Elsa looked at the doll with a blank face. One might say it was a calm disposition that suggested level-headedness but he observed her fingertips tapping on her forearms and the slight curl of her lip. She wasn't calm, she was furiously thinking on what could have brought that doll into her cave.

The air was thin and if they were humans, they would have fainted from the lack of oxygen but the deafening silence had Jack gritting his teeth. The need to see his friend was overwhelming. So close but at the same time so far. But he can't leave Sunshine right now, not when everyone needed his attention. His obligation as a friend had once again clashed with his duty as a Guardian. Before he knew what his was doing, his mouth opened and a question flowed from it

"If you didn't mean to yell someone just because you got mad, should you apologize right away or give 'em space?"

The young woman was taken back when she realized the question was directed at her rather than the fact he asked such a thing. She shifted her posture and her eyebrows knitted to an inquisitive expression, "I guess it depends on the situation and what kind of person you've angered"

"So you've been there before?" he asked.

She shrugged as she played the end of her braid with her left hand, "In some ways, I got angry once and... it didn't end very well."

"What did you do?"

"I ran" she simply answered, "As you can see, my emotions fuel my powers and they were harder to control if I let my emotions get the better of me." Sunshine took a deep breath and said no more. Jack wished that he could know more about her but he promised himself that he'll be patient. He mused over her words and considered them; Jamie was mature for his age and sharing his world with him had given the boy a responsibility that most kids in his age can't comprehend. Yeah his friends knew about them too but Jamie had almost spent every waking moment with him. For him, Jamie was more of a little brother than a friend or his first believer; that was the reason he was special.

The choices were already laid before him and he has to decide. "Enough running" he whispered to himself. His grip on his staff tightened as his resolve steeled itself for the inevitable encounter, he can't avoid Jamie forever.

"Sunshine" he spoke up "I'm going to Östersund, I have someone to see."

His companion's blue eyes widened, "Right now?" she asked.

"Yes, and no it can't wait" he added when she opened her lips. She quickly closed them with a silver glint in her eye; it didn't take a genius to know that she disapproved of this but he didn't have to answer to her anyway. But (of course there was a huge 'But') he can't leave her here alone, not when they're in the middle of a mission. So he compromised and hoped that it will stick.

"Come with me" he cajoled. "I know we had to figure out this thing but I need to do something. I promise after this, no more detours" his smile faltered a bit at the duration of her silence but it returned tenfold when she gave a deep sigh and shook her head in resignation. "Alright but we only have a short period of time to do that. What I don't understand is; why should I go with you?"

"No offense Sunshine but I'm in charge of you for a while." An affronted look made its way to her face and a fair shade of red coloured her cheeks.

"I will not be treated like a felon. I have proved my innocence and furthermore-"

"I know I know!" he sighed as he held up a hand in a futile attempt to calm her slowly growing temper, "I'm not saying you're our prisoner but how can I trust that you won't just run away when I turn around?"

"I told you I will help you!"

"You have a lousy record of sticking around, Sunshine" he replied "You just told me you ran away and it was the thing you'd been doing ever since I met you." Content and a twinge of smugness bubbled in his chest when she failed to comment on his rather spot-on observation. She pressed her fingertips against her temple for a minute before she took a deep breath and exhaled in defeat, "Very well but after this, no more dawdling!"

'Dawdling' she said. He only heard that kind of speech from educated ladies in the past; maybe she was a noble or belonged to a house of aristocrats. If that was the case, then it was possible she was related to the girl on the photograph.

_'Jamie, focus on Jamie first' _he reminded himself as she walked past him to exit her cave. He turned to follow her suit but he stopped and rushed back to the place where he found the statue. With a soft tap of his staff, the wall opened up and pushed the statue out like how he found it. Jack peered over his shoulder to see if Elsa would come back but so far, she didn't. He stuck out his tongue in a thoughtful manner as he traced his fingers on the face.

His ice chipped their way into the face, two almond shaped eyes appeared and even if it wasn't as detailed as hers, the resemblance was flawless. He gave a final grin at the statue before he ran through the tunnel and saw her staring at nothing with her cape fluttering with the vicious gale.

"May I ask you something?" Elsa said as she stood on the mouth of the cave, her hair danced with the wind and her hands were folded on her front.

"What is it?" he gladly exited the ominous cave and walked next to her.

The winds howled and snow mingled with the mountain breeze. The scent of ice had left a trail from his nose to his throat but he found comfort instead, if he looked down at the snow beneath them; he would have seen that she hadn't left a single footprint in the white mounds. It was like she was never there at all.

She turned her attention from the scene of neighbouring mountains and faced him with a thin-lipped frown, "Why do you insist with calling me 'Sunshine' when you already know my name?"

That was a difficult question and he didn't bother to make something up to mask it. "I don't really know. I know more about you when you're 'Sunshine'. Calling you 'Elsa' was like talking to a stranger. Does that make any sense?"

"No" was all she answered before the poker-faced mask was placed back again.

Jack scratched his head in irritation; the girl had two sides of her. Light and dark, like the moon. Huh, he had nothing to compare to the moon before.

Elsa was about to summon her snowstorm when he stepped in front of her. "I think you better lose the snowstorm Sunshine."

"Why?" the tone of suspicion was not lost from her voice but he took it as more of caution rather than distrust, "It's not really subtle."

"Oh and your ice is more inconspicuous than mine?" she asked, her once furrowed brow now raise and one side of her mouth lifted into a teasing crooked grin. He returned and crossed his arms across his chest, "I bring frosts Sunshine, not hail. You're gonna freeze somebody by accident if you're not careful."

Her grin faltered and she folded her hands together, "Then how do you propose I should use to transport from one place to another?"

Jack had an outrageous idea and it was too good to pass up. It was bold and daring; in actuality it borderline to insane but he knew that she was finally opening up to him little by little so he decided to play his luck.

"I'll carry you on my back."

"_I beg your pardon?_" she almost shrieked before he held up both hands in defense.

"Think about it, it'll be faster and you don't need to use your powers" he explained. "Unless" he added, "You want me to carry you like a princess?"

Cherry red flush covered her whole face and he could hear the pop of icicles behind him. She quickly closed her mouth which was gaping open and gave him the iciest glare she had ever given him.

"Why I never!" she huffed, "_Jack Frost_ if you don't take this seriously then we shouldn't go at all!"

It was weird for her to say his full name, there was a sting of authority and reprimand but he didn't mind, it was amusing and funny for his part. But they were on a tight schedule so he apologized and crouched low, one knee on the ground and his back was facing her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>_

"C'mon let's go!"

When he offered her to ride his back, Elsa couldn't help but picture herself sitting primly on his back while he was on fours on the ground like her favoured white stallion back at Arendelle. The very thought was so ridiculous, so insane that it was laughable. But even if there was humour in his suggestion, he was serious about it as well and she knew that it will be better to cater his wishes than debate about it and lose what precious time they have.

She swallowed inaudibly as she climbed on his back, feeling like a monkey climbing on a tree. Her arms that rested on his shoulders automatically encircled around his neck when, without warning, he jumped from the edge of the mountain and swooped down to the ground with unimaginable speed.

"A-ah..." she didn't even manage to finish her scream when he twisted his body to the side and she felt the wind gather around them that acted as a thin shield as they flew a feet above the ground. Blue was all she saw before she realized that she had tucked her head into the cloth of his hood. The faint snow that gathered around his shoulders began to spread under her hands. Carefully, she loosened her grip in fear that she had hurt him with her nails but so far he didn't say anything other than whispers. The winds caressed their faces and she closed her eyes to revel in the rare moment of peace.

She remembered this feeling, the thrill of freedom shooting through her veins as if the weight was lifted from her shoulders. One thing she loved about flying was that it was a means of escape from anything that can harm her, no bars to hold her in, no responsibilities.

_Freedom_

She wanted to throw her hands out and embrace the liberating air but she would look like a fool if she did. A thousand feet above the ground seemed so different when she flew with him; not only because she wasn't alone but she was at total ease. Maybe it was because she accepted his friendship earlier yet somehow it was more intimate.

When he gave her the chocolate, happiness and pain mingled in her heart to a volatile mix. Even now the shards of ice pierced through her heart little by little, relishing the pain she had to endure in silence. There were moments where she wished she would come out and say her past, her curse- everything there is to know about Queen Elsa of Arendelle but the fear of him knowing her sin was too much. The only one she had shared it with was with _Mann I Mørket_ but he knew the story before they exchanged their first words to one another.

What he thought of her was really none of her business but she didn't want to see the look of fear or even the slight of disgust on his face. She had frozen her home, driven her people out of their home because she felt cheated. And she had kept ties with their enemy. It was maddening to recount the scene in her head over and over like a stain that won't go away. Self-preservation and her frozen heart had made her numb but after she met him, the walls began to melt and her emotions returned both the good and bad ones.

He shifted his body and his hair tickled her face but she wasn't bothered, he was warm for a spirit who controlled ice. It radiated from his skin, through his skin and to her hands. In a moment of weakness, she leaned closer to his back and closed her eyes.

_Safe._

His mere presence had kept her in a spike of emotions that leveled from calm to intense. It was nonsensical to be so taken by someone she had no affiliation with and he effortlessly breached the shield she had put up for centuries and (hopefully) he hadn't noticed the growing affections she held for him no matter how hard she stopped it. But it was an infatuation and nothing more, simply dismissed it with the reason that he was the only male spirit she had tolerated.

They finally arrived at the town. Cars drove by; eyes never noticed the pair as they flew through the electric poles and the trees. He took a deep breath which she felt against her palms and adjusted his feet to land on the branch of a tree in front of a maroon painted house. She knew this place; it was the same house Fluff had led her to. The branch Jack had landed on barely moved under their weight and Elsa wasted no time jumping off of his back.

"What are we doing here?" she whispered, though it was foolish because there was no one who can hear nor see them, apart from a very large dog that laid on its back as it slept.

"Jamie" he simply responded, as if one name was the answer explained everything.

"And who is this Jamie character?" she asked as she watched him crouch low and spied into a window on the second level. His facial expression told her that whatever or more likely- whoever he was looking for wasn't there.

"Jamie" he said as he stood up and pocketed his hands into his pockets, his staff leaned against his shoulder "Is my best friend. He's from my old hometown in America but he and his family's visiting someone here in Sweden."

Elsa tilted her head in confusion before she remembered something she saw at the very same place, "Your best friend didn't happen to be a child now, would he?"

"Yeah he- wait" he turned to her with wide eyes "How did you know that?"

Elsa cursed her loose tongue before she casually shrugged "It would be predictable for someone with your nature." She mentally crossed her fingers that he would (by some miracle) believe her explanation.

But as luck would have had it, he gave a thoughtful look and nodded, "Yeah... I suppose. I really need to talk to him, we never had a fight before and I don't want him to stay mad at me."

Without thinking, she nodded and said "It's quite difficult to have a fight with someone especially when you're close with them. I remember that Anna can be quite-" Her eyes widened and a hand automatically slapped on her lips. 'Fool!' she berated herself as she bit her lower lip at Jack's interested gaze.

"Who's Anna?" he asked, his eyes glistened with interest.

Her eyes darted down to the branch they were standing on, wishing that somehow, it would give out and the ground will swallow her whole. Will Jack notice if she struck the tree with her ice?

The sudden arrival of voices from the sidewalk distracted them, which she was grateful for and saw the two children from before. A young boy with chestnut brown hair held on to the small blond girl's hand as she skipped along the pavement. A woman with long brown hair walked behind them with an auburn haired woman clutching the brunette's forearm with a smile on her face. A large man with onyx hair that was thick with curls followed them. Elsa felt a somber sentiment as she watched the two women through half-closed eyes, an ancient memory of Anna holding on to her arm as they strolled in the gardens in their afternoon walks.

"That's Jamie!" Jack whispered in excitement.

"Will you talk to him now or...?" she questioned but she found that her companion was already floating to the second-floor window he looked into earlier.

She carefully walked closer to his direction and her eyes widened when Jack opened the windows and jumped into the room. There was a joyous laughter that flooded from the window which made Elsa glide to the window with a thin mist under her feet. She peered through the lower portion of the window and her heart swelled at the sight.

Jack was hugging the boy with the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. The child's head was cradled in the space of his neck and his hands clutched on to Jack's clothing as if he would disappear if he'd let go. As they broke away from the embrace, Jack kneeled down to level at the boy's face and grinned as the boy started to talk in an animated fashion.

There was light in Jack's whole being that she had never seen before. It was like he was at total peace and yet his eyes shone in brilliance of unbridled joy as he listened to the boy's words. His centre... he said that his centre was fun and with the short time she had known him, he truly flourished with his essence of happiness and fun.

"Ow!" she hissed as pain twisted to her chest. She leaned against the wall, hands pressed against the wood and ice slowly crawled from her hands to the house before she peeled herself away from the house and gripped her chest.

_'It's alright, it okay'_ she tried to soothe herself as she floated down with her knees on the ground. She closed her eyes and threw her head up; the sunlight bathed her face with its warmth. If she let the pain get into her mind, her ice would be unstoppable and it will destroy everything in its path.

She was so focused with trying to supress the pain that she didn't notice a small blond girl in her fluffy pink jacket approach her.

Her breathing returned to its natural rhythm and her hands loosen against her chest. This was one if the times she wished that Olaf was with her, to comfort her and assure that everything will be alright. Elsa lowered her head as soon as she felt her face flush with the heat, her side braid curled to her shoulder and her legs were folded under her.

"You have a boo-boo?" a voice behind her asked.

She thought she was hallucinating but the bright green orbs stared at her with a curious pout. Elsa's eyes widened as the little girl continued to look at her before she opened her mouth (several teeth were missing) and asked the same question, "Do you have a boo-boo?"

"A... _'boo-boo'_?" she echoed. The girl nodded, her yellow hair bounced with her head.

Unbelievable.

Jack had told her that children can see them based on their beliefs of their existence. She was confused; how can this child see her if she had no idea who she was? Did the child manage to discover her identity?

The girl fished something from her pocket and held out a tiny paper wrap to her. Elsa cautiously took the thin colourful rectangular plastic gauze and realized that it was one of those plastic bandages humans had placed over small cuts. Something bloomed in her chest as she held the band-aid in her palm; such an insignificant thing but at the same time, it evoked a powerful emotion in her.

"Why did you give me this?" she gently asked the child.

"You have a boo-boo, it keeps the _owies_ away" she answered with an innocent grin. Elsa couldn't help but smile at the sweet child's disposition; when was the last time she had been approached by such a creature? The girl averted her eyes from Elsa and gasped, pointing at the trees behind her.

"Fluffy birdy!" she squealed.

Elsa lifted her head to the direction where she was pointing at and her jaw slackened as Fluff, her forgotten creation cheeped from the branch and flew down to them. This was not the same bird Elsa had last seen in her cave.

Fluff's body was no longer round but more of a skeletal structure and his wings nearly gave out as he finally reached them.

"Oh Fluff" she whispered as she stroked the bird's head. The girl scooted closer to see the bird in Elsa's hands and held her breath. Elsa gently blew into her cupped hands and the snow gradually covered him, mist surrounded her hands and the girl _ooh-ed_ at the sight. From her experience, children would run from something that was unexplained or new but this girl took in everything with awe in her large eyes.

Movement in her hands alerted Elsa that the frisky bird had regained his strength and sure enough, he shook the ice dust from his body and his head bobbed happily.

The girl gave a sound of happiness as Fluff flew from her hands and began to glide around their heads. The girl tried to catch him by jumping around before she stopped and walked to her.

Elsa froze what should she do now? She wanted to flee but Jack was still in the house and she didn't want to leave him, not after she told him that she won't run anymore. Her breath was caught in her throat when the girl's mitten-covered hand held out to touch her braid and felt the ice crystals that was pinned on her golden strands.

"Pretty~" she gasped out and stared at her with a mesmerized look.

"Oh- thank you" she replied in uncertainty. She hadn't been complimented by a child before. Not knowing what to do next, Elsa lifted her hand with her palm up and a powder of snow erupted. The girl watched in fascination as the ice emerged and danced around her palm to form a small flower with its stem curling.

Gingerly, she placed the flower to behind the child's left ear, the stem curled around the long stands and the petal opened to a full bloom. Elsa placed a hand over her lip to keep from beaming; the girl was extremely ecstatic. She tried to supress a chuckle as the jumped around clapped her hands with glee before she ran into the house. Elsa stood up and felt Fluff land on her shoulder to curl up on the side of her neck like a nest. The sound of a whistle alerted her and she flew to the trees.

At the same time, Jack exited through the window he entered into with a large grin on his face. "I take it that your talk went well?" she stated.

"Sunshine, I got an idea but don't be mad about what I'm gonna say alright?"

"It depends on the nature of said favour" she countered, "You told me that there will be no other agendas". He pouted at her words and scratched the back of his head. His eyes then zeroed in on the bird that was on her shoulder, "Hey there little guy!"

The bird tilted its head and wasted no time flying to his head and sat on top of it. Elsa can't help but feel replaced. While Jack reached up his head to pet the bird, she gazed on the road below and saw a girl wearing a magenta cap and a scarf that hid the lower part of her face. Elsa's head tilted a bit when the girl approached the house and knocked on the door.

As she waited for the door to open, the girl turned around to take off her scarf and blew a stand of dark blond hair from her line of vision. A face Elsa knew very well. It was a young girl who had Anna's face. She had the same blue eyes, the freckled, her lips that twitched as she rocked the balls of her feet, her dress followed her movements.

The door opened and a boy with black hair stood there with a pale expression. Elsa couldn't see the girl's expression but her body language suggested that she was uncomfortable with him but when the small boy whom Jack identified as Jamie, stepped out behind the raven-haired boy, the girl's posture noticeably changed to a more relaxed posture and entered into the house as she talked to Jamie.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Jack's voice brought her back to reality as if she was watching the scene in another dimension. It was so surreal, to see someone who had Anna's likeness; she was shaken to her core.

"I-I needed to get away from here" she choked out before she jumped up and flew to her mountain with Jack running after her.

As soon as they arrived at the entrance of her cave, her knees gave out and she found herself curl into a ball. A sickening sensation pooled in her stomach as she clenched her eyes shut, Anna's bright voice echoed in her head as though she was right beside her.

_"Look Elsa, the first frost is here!"_

_"Hahaha, you should have heard what Kristoff said about the new sled!"_

_"I love you Elsie"__  
><em>  
>"Stop, please stop" she pleaded to no one in particular. She didn't want the pain to return, she just wished that she can remember her moments with Anna without the tainted agony that twisted her heart. There was no one to blame but herself. She froze her heart, she chose not to love.<p>

Elsa expected the cold claws of pain pierce her chest and suffocate her neck with its icy grip but what she experienced was a pair of arms that trapped her into a warm embrace. Her head was cradled close to a warm chest and the sound of calm breathing influenced her own.

"I'm here" Jack murmured, "I'm here Sunshine."

Her shaking hands grabbed on the sleeves of his hoodie, afraid that he will slip under her grasp if she didn't hold on to him close enough. His large hand stroked her head and rocked her in a gentle motion like what a mother would to her crying babe. A sad yet hauntingly beautiful song burst into the cave and she cracked open one eye to see that it was Fluff who was the source. The ice around them tried to move but Jack paid no mind, focusing all his attention to the emotionally-unstable woman under him.

Elsa knew it was foolish if her to act this way. Unreasonable and illogical to feel like she was being caught in her own trap. She made a decision and she had to stick by it. Her radical change of mindset had consequent into numerous and inconsistent choices. One moment she hated him, next she longed for his presence. One moment she was calm and poised and the next, she was impulsive and fueled with her emotions.

What was happening to her lately?

She gently peeled herself away from his chest but his arms proved to be a challenge as the wound around her side. "I'm sorry" She heard herself say the words though she didn't know what she should apologize for. Maybe for being so difficult all the time?

Jack shook his head, "It's alright. I know you're thinking I want to know the reason why you freaked out again but I won't push it."

"You're too kind to me" she sighed.

"No I'm not" he weakly protested, his grin proved that he wasn't serious with his answer.

"Jack" she said "If I told you that I had done something horrible in the past, will you hate me for it?"

Then, there was silence. Apart from the howling wind and Fluff's singing, there was no sound. Jack unlatched his arms from her side and placed her to the ground next to him. Her fears had come true; he will see her as a disgusting being that had no heart. The very thought of it caused her heart to clamp into a painful squeeze and her eyes watered. She didn't want him to detest her; she didn't want him to leave her side.

Her thoughts were derailed when he patted her head as his whole body leaned against the wall. She blinked owlishly at his strange action but he just smiled at her. His blue eyes seemed to glow in an ethereal shade.

"Just because you did something wrong in the past, it doesn't mean that it defines the person you are now" he simple said.

"But what if it haunts you? What if you're cursed for something you've foolishly done in the past?" there was a hint of hysteria in her tone, trying to find a loophole. She must be a glutton for punishment.

"Then you've gotta make peace with the past and live in the present" he replied as he dropped his hand from her head and dropped it on his side, "You can't let your regrets cripple you from living in the present."

His words held in so much wisdom that she was left gobsmacked. She knew he wasn't always this silly, fun-loving fellow but he had given her so much to think about. She had one last question and though she knew it wasn't the appropriate time to ask it, she just needed to clear the air around them.

"Jack?"

"Hm?"

She gazed into his eyes, searching for any hint of dishonesty before she asked, "Do you consider me as a friend?"

He blinked, "Well we're awfully chummy for strangers if we aren't"

"I'm serious. Do you see me as a friend?" she asked, her head leaned against the wall as well as she watched him pull a thoughtful expression on his youthful face.

"Yeah, of course I do."

She nodded and dropped her gaze to the ground. "It's strange..."

"For what?"

"To be so attached to someone you've known for such a short time. It's illogical to be so comfortable around someone you've met for mere weeks and yet, when I'm with you... I feel safe" she confessed. It was a shaking experience; to pour your heart out, expose yourself to someone else. It was akin to being naked. But it seemed that Jack Frost was a spirit with answers.

"You can't determine that with how long you've met with the person but rather the things you went through with them" he said "I met Jamie only a year ago but he's the most important person to me. Sometimes you have to stop overthinking things and just trust your gut."

Elsa let a smile splayed on her lips as she hugged her knees to her chest, "That's an interesting life philosophy. Have you thought of that for the last century?"

Jack's face brightened as the heavy atmosphere lifted between them, "Hey, I'm older than you by a hundred years. So technically, you can't call me a 'delinquent', little girlie"

A snort came from her before she covered her mouth. Elsa shook her head and gazed at her hands, "If I may ask, what did happen with your friend? From what I saw, your talk ended in a very good note."

"Yeah..." but then he trailed off, leaving her in curious silence.

"What is it?"

"Sunshine- I mean Elsa" he started, "I know I told you that we've made a new start and I want you to get to know Jamie." He held in his breath as she stared at him, "Are you suggesting that I expose myself to your friend?"

"Well... maybe- it's really not... yeah I am" he sighed.

Elsa stared at the void with a myriad thoughts coursing in her brain. She wanted to be part of Jack's world, she truly did but there was something holding her back. Something dark and sinister. She had suspected that _he _was the instigator of the kidnappings but she needed answers. A flash of light just outside the cave interrupted her thoughts. Jack was already on his feet as she looked 'yond the multi-coloured lights that danced across the sky. "They're calling us back" he explained. He hefted his staff on his shoulder and waited for her to follow his suit when she took a deep breath and said,

"Jack, I have to go somewhere."

"Sunshine, you do know that I have to tag along right?"

Elsa closed her hands into a determined fist and asked him "Jack, do you _trust_ me?"

"Of course I do" he automatically answered.

"To what extend?"

"I'll put my existence on the line" and she knew he was serious.

"Then you have to trust me with what I'm going to do. I'm not running away from anything. I'm going to face it but I'm afraid that I have to do this alone." He refused to move, he was rooted to the very spot he stood upon and she wanted nothing more than to push him out of the cave so she can just set her plan in motion but she needed him trust her decision.

"You're one of us now Sunshine" he said, "You don't need to go through whatever it is alone. I'm right here"

"I know" She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, "That's why I needed to face this without you."

He bit his lip, no doubt he was debating whether or not to let her go in this quest before his shoulders slumped and he looked away. Elsa approached him and took his hand into hers, he lifted his head to face her and she could feel a spark of electricity between them. "Trust me."

"Alright… but as soon as you're done with that thing of yours, you get back here without a scratch." It felt more like an order but she didn't mind. She knew he was only looking out for her, which she appreciated and continued to watch him as he hesitantly let go of her hand and flew out of the cave. Fluff twittered around her before he settled on her shoulder. Elsa cupped Fluff from her shoulder and placed him on the table, "No, I have to go alone." She ignored his morose cheeps as she walked to the entrance of the cave and flew towards Arendelle.

She knew _he_ would be there.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-;-<em>**

Pitch Black knew that was coming, even before the ice shifted under his feet, before Onyx had returned from his sentry duty to alert him the rapid arrival of the dangerous spirit. Yet he didn't stand from the throne he was sitting on, the elevated seat was comfortable and it just felt right for him to have a throne like this one. Only, in a much larger kingdom than this one. The door opened and it was wretched from its hinges as a powerful lash of winds entered the room.

Pitch merely smirked.

"I hope you don't mind but I was terribly tired and this throne was the only-"

"Enough Pitch Black" she hissed.

He could almost taste the malice in her voice as she strode towards him, clearly intending to do harm. But what she didn't know was he had managed to turn her battleground into his own. "Are you going to tell me what I should stop doing or do you want me to guess?" he taunted. A shard of ice clipped him on his left shoulder but he managed to dodge most of it before it can result to a more grievous damage.

"I know it was you who took the children. You were the only one who knew I was in that cave and Jack will never betray me like that!" A burst of magic aligned with anger had almost punched him through the wall but not before he summoned his shadows and served a portal before he can hit the wall. He transported to the other side of the throne room and gave a spine-chilling grin, "I thought you were smarter than that, Your Highness. To think that you can be swayed by a young spirit who plays in the snow than rule the world under my guidance, you've fallen from grace Snow Queen."

"Return the children or face my wrath!" she demanded, oh how he would love to crush that stubborn determination in her eyes.

"So arrogant, I thought you would arrive here with your new comrades? Or should I say your masters?"

Her red lips curled and raised her hands towards him. Icicles shot to his direction and hail pelted him before he decided to stop playing games. With a yell, he threw his hands out and darkness began to cover every corner, every surface; cutting of every light that entered the room and he relished the confused and ill-concealed fear on her face. "You say that you can beat me without any effort or help? You say that you don't fear me? Then I shall show you the true meaning of fear."

_**-;-**_

* * *

><p>AN: Hello everyone. Yes I'm aware that I was super late but hey, I made up with this chapter. To my fellow Canadians a belated Happy Thanksgiving! Now, clearly some of the reviewers have not read my previous A/N's which was usually fine but please know that I hate repeating myself over and over the same question and comments. And please, don't fill my emails or reviews that read "I want more!" or "Update this!" especially "Please update this faster" because I'm doing what I can to finish this story in a good pace and I don't like to be rushed! Ahem, anyways, thanks for the support and after the numerous "We want more Jelsa moments!" and "Where's the Jelsa part?!" well here it is so please stop harassing me! (Cries in the corner) And… fine, I got sidetracked by American Horror Story, The Walking Dead and Once Upon A Time and maybe the reruns of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. but don't judge me!

I know that Pitch's scene here was miniscule but for me he's the chapter's scene stealer! What's your favourite scene?

Easily my longest chapter and no, this isn't a filler because all of it makes sense. And one other thing… can anybody help me make my own tumblr and what to do with it because I might be the only one in my age group who didn't have it. Anyways my thanks to PM'ers and reviews:

morbidsweetie13: ma cherie, I think you've turned off your PM option because I can't reply but here's my answer to your questions:

I got the nickname Elsie as an inspiration from Wicked (Elphaba = Elphie)

Hmm, IMO between Frozen and Tangled, I favoured Frozen a whole lot more. Tangled is good but I just liked Frozen more because I can identify myself with Elsa than emphasize with Rapunzel and the theme of Frozen tied with familial love rather than romantic love (ie Brave) appealed to me more. Sorry blondie

In order- Elsa, Merida, Fa Mulan, Anna, Tiana then Belle

It was quite a challenge because we didn't get to see much of Elsa in Frozen so it was a bit hard to write her but at the same time fun because she can be quite a complex character. But I also try to make them more realistic without ruining their original personalities.

BEASBeth: So many questions but they're going to be answered don't worry dear. Patience~ :D

JDH1080

B3rs3rk: Oh that's so nice of you! And believe me when I say that Brazil is one of the countries I wanted to visit!

Guest (Anon1)

Guest (Anon2) : I know what you mean. Love hurts xD

air hug: No, YOU are awesome! I'm glad you liked this story!

Random: Thank you for that. Since it was my first time writing online, I have to say that I'm glad that you liked my work so far. I hope I will reach your expectations!

IAmOneMAgicVOrtex

imafangirlforever: really? Wow! I never thought this story can encourage others into supporting this couple. We should start a movement… ahahah but seriously, thanks for giving this fic a chance no matter the amount of errors and slow updating xP

electricangel12: Hahaha I think you're the only one that noticed it! Don't worry, I laughed about it too (I'm such a horrible sister)

fireninjafox

Maict: Oh sweetie don't worry about it. The biggest critique of the story was me and I'm sorry that I made you feel guilty. I hope you'll continue to love this story and stick with me til the end :)

Fatally: Weeee! Another Guardians book reader! I know I kinda erased Nightlight in this story, please don't kill me :P

AXeIS: I… dunno how to respond to this but thanks for the advice and the enthusiasm. And the term 'daughter of Hades' would be more accurate xD

Side note: So many alerts and and faves but no reviews… people, Y U No Review? Seriously, I wanted to know what you think of the current chapter so I could improve the future chapters!

Questions and comments are always welcomed as well as constructive criticisms but please… No Flames.


	20. Monster

_**Finne Min Senter**__**  
><strong>__**Chapter Twenty**__**  
><strong>__**Monster**__**  
><strong>__**-;-**_

* * *

><p><em>Stillness<em>

She could hear almost hear the fall of a snowflake from a mile away with the silence that enveloped them. Pitch Black had dropped his mask of casualness and cockiness and revealed a terrifying visage of the real Boogeyman. He may not have fangs or claws or a tail that can cut trees with one fallen swoop but he was frightening nonetheless. His eyes glowed against his gray skin, his robes fluttered even with the absence of the wind.

The shadows had sealed every opening in the castle. It was to tell if night or day as it was cast out every shred of light except for the one on the ceiling that provided a light that can barely reach the floor.

He lifted his left hand so swiftly that she barely had time to shield herself against the wave of black sand. The wall of ice had managed to cover her but the wave was so powerful that it knocked her to the opposite end of the room.

She groaned when her back connected with the wall, her eyes started to see spots when she saw Pitch approach her with a sea of black liquid under him. Jaw clenched and adrenaline raced through her veins, she swung her hands in front of her as the ice pushed against the sands. Snow and hail battled against sand and shadow; both threatening to overwhelm the other.

_"I thought you will see things my way"_

His voice boomed against the sounds of gritted sands that relentlessly pushed against her ice. Her arms were being pushed back as well as her ice and sweat started to pour from her forehead. Elsa looked around with the aid of the weak light and ran towards the pillar to regain her bearings.

She leaned against the pillar and clenched her hands in anxiety. Ice had started to spread from the pillar down to the floor but she could care less. He was strong, much stronger than what she had anticipated. The shadows around her twisted and flowed but it didn't make a move to attack. Was he toying with her?

"I thought that behind that calm and emotionless facade was a spirit who was willing to embrace the darkness of one's soul. But what do I get? A _lovesick fool_ who can't even sort out her own emotions!"

As his voice boomed across the room, the shadows shifted into an angry swirl before it lunged at her. Elsa hardened her gaze with a single-minded objective; get rid of Pitch Black. Her stomped her foot and threw her arms out; stalagmites erupted from the floor, scattering the oncoming attack and her ice charged against the shadows.

How many seconds had it passed? Everything was in slow-motion as she called forth her power to their fullest extent; vicious winds hacked every shadow and ice froze the shadows into black formless prisons. Elsa's eyes scanned the area and heightened her hearing. He was here; she knew he won't run away from this. If there was anything she had in common with _Mann i Mørket_ is that they're both stubborn. And his anger resonated from the shadows.

She carefully walked to the middle of the room, her hands were ready to conjure her powers for any attack and with a quiet whistle of a blade, she ducked down and icicles flew in every direction. The snowstorm had halted and a thin fog started to spread across the floor. The temperature was almost too cold to bear for anyone else but for her, it was merely a breeze.

Pitch stood up from the ground with a black sword in his hand. Teeth clenched as she gazed on the weapon in his hand; was he trying to aggravate her?

"Surrender the children Pitch Black" she ordered, her voice was steady yet cold.

Pitch merely shook the snow from his robes and sneered at her "And when did you get so concerned with the children, hm? Was it because you're with the Guardians now?" He stopped and sent a dark smirk to her, "No... It's because of Jack Frost isn't it?"

Elsa bristled as Pitch uttered Jack's name. The shadows that were trapped inside her ice stirred and she knew she can't contain them for much longer. Deciding to play for more time, she pursed her lips and threw her hands to his direction; two thin white lights shot out and sped towards him in a serpentine fashion. Pitch lifted his sword and managed to cut one of the ribbons in half but the second ribbon had managed to latch itself around his neck and it instantly hardened into a thick cuff. Elsa made a light fist, causing the cuff to tighten around his neck.

She steadied her breathing as her anxiety passed; he was now under her control, at her mercy. Her body throbbed as the trapped shadows thrashed around their frozen prison but she held it in, it was not the time to show weakness.

"Return them to their homes" she spoke up, "And never set foot in this kingdom again."

Pitch Black was already gasping for breath when she loosened her ice from his neck; she wasn't a murderer. Never was and never will be and he won't turn her into one. No matter how justified it will be.

With a wave of his hand, a portal opened and at the same time, Elsa held up her closed hand, warning him that any mistake will be fatal to his part. A large black horse galloped out of the portal, its eyes shone like fire and it automatically ran to Pitch's side. She was about to squeeze her hand when she heard tiny footsteps that followed the dark horse. One by one, children that went missing climbed out of the hole and stood in front of her, their eyes closed. Elsa gave a cautious look at his direction before she hurriedly knelt in front of a little boy and placed a hand on his face. He was deathly cold and pale but he wasn't harmed in anyway.

With a sigh of relief, she began to stand when she heard him whimper. She knelt before him again and stroked his brown hair in a soothing manner,

"Don't worry little one, the nightmare will soon be over."

The child's eyes slowly opened and within a split second, a pair of hands wrapped around her own neck, paralyzing her with shock and confusion.

"What-" It was all she managed to gasp out before the hands clenched around her throat. A tall figure slinked behind the boy and a row of dagger-like teeth were exposed as Pitch Black stared down at her.

"You've gotten soft" he taunted "If we were in the same situation before you've met that idiotic miscreant you wouldn't have hesitated to suffocate me or cut my head clean off."

Elsa wrenched the boy's hands from her neck, hissing in pain as his nail scratched the sides of her flesh and took a couple of steps back. A thin stream of blood trickled from the wound but she ignored it, her attention was solely focused on the children and the devil that stood behind them.

"Using children as a human shield... you're a monster, _Mann i Mørket_!" she spat out.

His smirk dropped and was immediately replaced with fury. "I... am a _monster_?" he whispered before his tone started to gain volume, "I'm a monster?! All I ever wanted was to be believed in, to be remembered by anyone!"

Elsa felt the shadows thrash more wildly in her ice and she can barely contain them as the angry spirit before her unleashed his anger. "They" he seethed, pointing at a random area that might have been a window, "They forced me to become the villain. Do you think I _enjoyed_ roaming in the shadows? That I _enjoyed_ being ignored and dismissed as a scary bedtime story? No. It was those oh-so-precious Guardians who drove me to hide in the center of the Earth. You call me a monster, but those 'protectors' were the ones who made me this way. Have you forgotten that it was the Man in the Moon who trapped you into this wretched existence? Have you forgotten that he forced you to watch your sister die before your very eyes?"

_'Don't get distracted'_ she told herself. She took another step back as he continued his verbal onslaught.

"You dare to call me a monster when you're not so different. Everyone sees me as a villain, a monster just because I have power over something I didn't choose for myself."

A chord of sympathy had struck her; he was like her. They had the same struggle and felt the isolation from everything around them because of their power, their curse.

"They say I'm a monster? Then I'll show them a true monster!"

The sound of ice breaking resounded as the shadows escaped and rushed to join their master. Elsa called forth her ice to freeze him but she stopped when the children huddled between her and Pitch; forcing her to call back her ice.

He threw his hands up and the shadows flew up to form into a huge ball. Elsa bit her lower lip and threw her hand to the ground; a large form started to grow. A behemoth snow monster appeared; a carbon copy of Marshmallow growled as it took its first step towards Pitch. The man didn't even flinch at the sight and even sneered at her, "Do you really think that I can be defeated with that?"

She ignored him and instead, she sent an inaudible order to the snow monster and sent a rush of hail to his direction. The snow monster rammed through him and at the same time, Elsa made a sweeping motion to the children, scooping them into a large snowball with the intention of taking them with her when she heard the sharp crack of a whip. Within minutes, the snow monster fell into a white heap and Pitch stomped over it.

He lifted a hand and with a single snap of his fingers, the ball exploded into numerous shards that rained upon her. Out of panic, the ice covered her like a blanket and shielded her from the black shards that struck. She could barely make out his outline as he casually strolled to her ball of ice and leaned his face against it, "I can smell it, I can see it... I can _feel_ it. Your fear."

Black smoke had slithered from the cracks of the ice. Elsa tripped to the ground and crawled away from the smoke that grew into a more solid shape; a pair of yellow eyes floated on the smoke and his gaze petrified her entire body. The shield fell into pieces as Elsa's breathing quickened. Before she knew what was happening. He stabbed her right through her chest.

"U-ugh…"

With shaking hands and quivering lips, she looked down at horror as a shard of gray ice was sticking out of her flesh. It started to embed itself into her skin before it disappeared into her body.

"What have you- _what have you done to me?!_" she demanded and an explosion of snow, ice and hail crowded the entire space. But Pitch was calm even as the storm within her raged on, his voice was distinctive above the other noises,

"I simply gave back something that belonged to you. I told you I'm going to show them a true monster. And I'm going to make you see; you're a monster too."

Fear and anger rolled into Elsa as she tried to push the needle out but it quickly found its way to her heart. The snowstorm raged on with her rampant emotions before she finally tired out and flinched at the numbness that started on her chest. She clenched a hand over the wound and stomped at the floor to retaliate but nothing happened. Elsa stretched out an arm to try and aim it at Pitch but nothing came out. Nervousness and fear gripped her and the snowflakes stopped at midair.

Even through her bleary eyes; she plainly saw contentment in his face. He opened his mouth to taunt her more when a small song entered the battlefield. A bird's song bounced around the shadows and something small and round entered from the window.

"Fluff" she gasped in horror as the bird sped to Pitch like a white bullet and with his tiny claw, managed to scratch Pitch's face. He continued his flurry of attacks before he was caught in cheeped helplessly against Pitch's palm.

Elsa held up her hands to help the little creature but nothing happened. All she can do was watch as Pitch slowly clenched his hands around the bird and with a single squelch and a mangled chirp; Fluff was reduced into a small pile of snow that he threw to the ground.

She stared at the snow and covered her mouth with her hand; she felt nauseous. With outraged cry, she summoned her own sheer will for a final attack. Everything froze around them. Every shadow that failed to escape was trapped into the ice and dissolved into diamond dust. Her enemy dodge every icicle, wall and spear but his foot was caught with the pile of snow that quickly changed into a thick patch of ice that rooted him to the spot. Elsa unleashed the storm that had plagued her since the beginning and when she found that he was cornered, she lifted her palm to him and conjured a sphere made with her magic. A single touch that can freeze the object completely. Forever trapping it inside its icy prison.

With the last strain of strength she could muster, Elsa threw the ball to Pitch and watched as it drew nearer and nearer. But when it was a heads breath from him, a shuddering thrum echoed from her chest, violently pushing her backwards. The ball had dissolved into frost and the ice began to crack. She didn't know what she was feeling; she shuddered and her exposed flesh felt like it was pierced with thousands of tiny needles. A puff of air exited from her mouth and her toes were numb; head spun at the thin oxygen and her teeth chattered.

Cold.

For the first time in her existence, she felt cold.

All she could see was a thick mist that rolled towards her. Elsa threw her hands up to shield herself from the oncoming gusts but her ice didn't obey her orders. "What-" she gasped out when the first sting started on her fingertips. She stared in horror as ice enveloped her hands.

Fear gripped her entire body and she stumbled to the ground, her breathing turned to shallow gasps. "No, no no!" she cried as she tried to claw at the ice and snow that covered her hands and bit by bit crawled to her arms.

"Help..." she whispered to no one.

She doubled over and pressed her forehead against her knees; aware that her impending doom was drawing near and before she thought of anything else, she fell back and laid on the floor as darkness ate away her consciousness.

Then... there was nothing. She couldn't see anything at first but she could hear the screams of terror and the word "monster" hung in the air. When she opened her eyes, there was a crowd of shadows surrounding her; they poked at her with swords and spears. Small shadows huddled behind the taller shadows with fear covering their otherwise blank expressions.

"I'm- I'm not! Please-"

Her pleads fell on deaf ears as they continued to advance with their weapons raised above their heads. Two shadows ran towards her; they don't have any weapons in their hands but Elsa; out of fear and confusion, threw her hands forward to their direction-

"Stay away from me!" she screamed.

Two icicles stabbed the two figures squarely on their chests and as soon it struck them, the two shadows' mouth opened into a silent scream and light suddenly focused on their faces. On the right was a young woman with strawberry blond hair, her two braids swung to and fro haphazardly. Her front was drenched with blood as the ice sunk through her body.

"N-no. I didn't mean to- _Anna_!"

Images begun to appear in her mind. Anna's smiling face with her blue eyes brightened as she smiled.

'No, all of this can't be real. I couldn't have done- I couldn't hurt her, not Anna"

Anna's image suddenly started to blur around the edges and the sound of ice creeping along Anna's face. Elsa could only watch in horror as the ice continued to eat away every memory she held of her beloved sister. Every thought was being wiped out on a single crack that appeared on Anna's picture.

Her voice, her laugh, the way she looked, erased from her mind.

The shadow that imitated Anna's face shattered as if she was made of ice and the other shadow revealed itself to her.

Silver sharply contrasted against the darkness and the large shard embedded itself in his chest. A cold claw had gripped her entire chest; the pain that she had never felt from her heart exploded and for the first time in centuries, tears had sprung from the corner of her eyes. The fake Jack's eyes had widened with pain and disbelief. His gaze zeroed in into her eyes, Elsa felt the pain he received and though he was a fake; he bore Jack's likeness. From the position of every strand of hair to the frayed thread of his hoodie.

The moment she dreaded appeared; Jack Frost's smiling face greeted her and Elsa wanted nothing more than to wake up from this nightmare. "No..." she whispered, desperation leaked from her voice as the ice started on the edges.

"Please not him. I don't- I don't want to forget him as well!" Her voice was overshadowed by his merry laughter, the memories they shared on the lake, when they had a snowball fight, the anguish on his face when she called him a traitor and a liar, when he held her close and told her he was never going to leave her. As she heard bits of their conversation that flowed into her ears, she wished she had answered his questions and replied to his words.

"My name's Jack. Jack Frost, Guardian of fun"  
><em>- And I'm Elsa, Queen of Arendelle<em>_  
><em>  
>"Well aren't you little Miss Sunshine. Either you give me your name, or I'll make one for you"<br>_-You do know it but you still prefer the nickname 'Sunshine' over my real one.__  
><em>  
>"Don't you ever get lonely?"<br>_- Yes, every single day_

"What's your center?"  
><em>- I don't know, I don't think I even have one<em>

"I'm the only spirit you've ever met so how can you know right?"  
><em>- I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything<em>

"It's okay, I got you"  
><em>- I know, you're always there to catch me<em>

"You know, I drowned in a frozen lake."  
><em>- And I was taken by an illness<em>

"She's my sister"  
><em>- And I would sacrifice anything and everything for my Anna<em>

"I didn't break your promise, I would never do that!"  
><em>- I'm so sorry I didn't believe you, I'm so sorry I doubted your integrity and friendship<em>

"You don't need to go through whatever it is alone. I'm right here"  
><em>- I know I should've trusted you more but I wanted to you keep safe from Pitch Black, safe from me<em>

"You're important to me"  
><em>- And you are to me as well<em>

There was a last sentence she didn't get to hear as static pierced through her ears. Panic and desperation clawed her entire being as his image began to fade away.

"No... no!" she cried out before it shattered to pieces. Ice had covered her hands and feet, numbness scattered through her body. The sensation of blood solidifying through her body pounded against her ears. The shadows around her merged together into a thick mist and it surrounded her in every direction. There was nowhere to run anymore, nowhere to hide.

Whispers invaded her ears and the noises got louder and louder and a tiny prick echoed into an agonizing pain, the ice that covered her heart had forged into a thick layer. The barb that Pitch had stabbed her with had invaded her heart and the ice that covered it. An indistinguishable agony plagued her entire body, shredding through her body like razors and all she can do was scream. Her vision started to darken and her breathing was laboured; "Jack..." she whispered to the wind before the shadows mingled into a dark cloud and swallowed her entire being.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-;-<em>**

It was close.

_Too close_.

If he hadn't used his shadows to manipulate the children, a large icicle would have been sticking out of his body right now. He had gotten careless but in the end, it all worked in his favour. He couldn't see through the shadows that swallowed her but he was sure that the mirror shards had done their magic. It was evident with the slow rise of temperature as she crumpled to the floor and maybe even lost her consciousness. But out of nowhere, the sound of a glass being shattered echoed throughout the entire area and the beat of a heart intensified and then, there was a scream.

The shadows around her were blown away and he was sent flying through the wall. His whole body ached as it smacked against and ice. With a pained groan, he stood up and prepared himself for an attack but all he saw was a white mist and a figure stepped out.

A silver heel was the first thing he saw through the thick air and the lower portion of a white dress with diamonds that sparkled even in the darkness. She revealed herself as she entered the sliver of light and it was Elsa but at the same time, she wasn't.

They had the same face and the same height and built. And that was where the similarity stopped. Her hair was tied into a bun, the tips stuck out at the back like spikes and her hair was more silvery than golden. The blue dress and transparent cape was replaced with a high collared dress, sleeves were long and there was a pair of fingerless gloves around her hands with a pair of teardrop white gems that dangled from her earlobes. A gray corset encircled her waist with a large six pointed snowflake placed on the middle of it.

It wasn't Elsa's signature snowflake either. It was spiked and it glowed in a stormy gray light. A thick royal blue cape hung around her shoulder that stopped on the back of her ankles and to top it all off, there was a tiara made out of ice that sat on top of her head.

Her eyes were in the lightest and coldest shade of blue and it zeroed towards Pitch. In return, Pitch summoned his whip with extra caution as she held out her right arm and opened her palm. Sharp winds accompanied with hail gathered around her palm and began to construct a transparent staff with an orb on the top end. Blood red lips lifted into a smirk as admired her own handiwork before she lifted a delicate eyebrow to Pitch as if she hadn't noticed his presence, or she may have wondered what he was still doing there.

He didn't know how to approach her. The shards he struck her with contained a powerful spell that held so much dark emotions. Fear, anger, hatred and sorrow; there was no such heart that can control all of them at once and he had forced it upon its creator.

With slight hesitation, he approached her and gave a short bow. "Delighted to see the true Snow Queen right before my eyes" he softly said. When he straightened up, the woman was already walking past by him and with a wave of her hands; the ice around them shook and reshaped itself. The frozen walls and furniture were destroyed as the new beams of dark ice invade the former Arendelle castle.

As the walls stretched, all the remained debris was pushed out like dust. Pitch had to catch himself from falling as the ground they stood upon was lifted through the ceiling. The light invaded his eyes and he immediately covered them with his arms before another ceiling was built to shield them from the bright daylight. New walls were erected and as he peered from the edge of the floor just to witness a winding stairs scaling through the single pillar of ice that held the former throne room to the ground. The woman pointed her staff to the old throne and with a single blinding zap, the seat was destroyed and a much bigger one replaced it with sharp edges on its spine.

"Now this" she suddenly spoke "Is a place fit for a queen." Her tone was smug with the hint of vanity. The Snow Queen's speech sharply contrasted Elsa's. Her voice was cold, sharp and intimidating. Commanding and mocking.

Pitch was beside himself with glee. True she was dismissive of him but so was her former self. He looked around and breathed out in relief as he saw the children still being carefully tucked in Elsa's snowball. Oh don't get him wrong, it wasn't as if he _cared _about them; they were an essential bargaining chip and he still had some use for them in order complete his plans. Yes, she was a perfect instrument for his plans but for now, he needed to guarantee her alliance with him.

"May I say, your powers are more formidable than ever before-" he stopped when a spear was pointed at his throat. A thin man-like creature made of ice with a pointed face stood in front of him with its empty eyes and its weapon was dangerously close to his neck. Pitch's eyes narrowed as the queen sauntered over to her throne and leaned against it with mock leisure;

"And what business do you have with me Pitch Black? I know you didn't release me for nothing" she said, her fingertips tapped on the armrest.

He fought down the urge to attack the wretched woman for her insolence and ungratefulness but forced himself to stay calm. So he took a step back and placed a hand over his chest.

"I apologize for not stating my purpose but I need your help."

Her eyebrow rose and she leaned over ever so slightly to his direction and asked, "_My_ help?"

"Yes. With our powers, we can control the entire Earth. Imagine; a world filled with fear, darkness plagued every corner of the realm and nothing-, no one can stop us." The corner of his lips lifted as she placed a hand under her chin and gave a satisfied smirk that can send chills down on one's spine.

"Interesting notion, I want to hear more."

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>_

Granpabbie woke up from his midday nap. There was something wrong. He can feel it in the air when the winds brought a rather distressing news. It whispered a wicked sorcery that threatened to destroy everything in its path. He didn't want to alert anyone in any case of misinformation but he rolled deeper into his cave and held up his crystals towards the light that entered through a hole. The light wavered for a moment before it dimmed. "What is going on out there old friend?" he implored the shadow of the moon. A tired old voice whispered into his ear.

The Man in the Moon's usually gentle yet strong voice was now fragile and weary, "I have failed my dear friend… all I can do know, is to trust the chosen ones." His message ended with a grave sigh and Pabbie's face scrunched in confusion. He had no idea what was going on until Bulla rolled into his cave and called for him. He followed his daughter and his eyes widened at the direction she was pointing at. Dark clouds hung over the kingdom and a large tower had emerged from out of nowhere. It was created by a dark and powerful ice magic and Pabbie knew there was only one being who can create it. He hung his head low and sighed, "Oh Anna… without you, who can help Elsa?"

_**-;-**_

_**End of Chapter Twenty**_

* * *

><p>AN: Well look who updated early. I guess I got too much excited with posting new stories that I got energize with finishing this chapter too. And if it wasn't already painfully obvious, I just introduced the character of Snow Queen. What will happen to Elsa now? What do you think will happen? Remember people, one review means the world to me, just as long as it's not a flame okay? _**R&R** _people!

I want to thank the reviewers who had shown their love and support. Truly, you are the ones who really appreciated this and I love you for that!

SynthesisSurge

electricangel12: Thanks, I just really wanted to give their relationship a large room to grow. Hope you liked this chapter

imafangirlforever: Aw that's so toothachingly sweet of you hahaha. I know Jelsa's not everyone's cup of tea (I mean, I never supported Jackunzel even before Frozen (no offense to Jack/Rapunzel shippers)) but I try to give justice to this beautiful pairing :)

isidipi: Hahaha thank you for that, it meant a lot to me :)

Da-Awesom-One : Hmmm, you're gonna find out maybe next chapter ;)

fireninjafox

LisIVI: You don't know how many times I squealed when I wrote that. Total fangirl moment!

anonymus: A Total Hook/Emma shipper! Kinda disappointed on how the date ended though. I love Belle and Gold too! I guess Once Upon A Time was my last hope of some Jelsa. With a tiny wish that they can make Jack Frost's character and pair him with Elsa~ Ooooh, **A Once Upon A Time fic idea?!**

Guest (anon): Nah, it's alright.

SnowDrop313: That's so sweet of you to say that :) I try hard not to compare myself to other fanfic writers here since there's always gonna be someone better than me and thanks for pointing it out. I edited most of the chapters here so in a way, it was constructive after all! xP

Guest (Anon) 2

fastreader12

I would love to sincerely thank BeasBeth, LisIVI and sweetangel014 for answering my PM's. Sorry for disturbing you again my darlings but you guys are the best!

LisIVI, thanks for the comments on my project and let's have a chat again sometime!

sweetangel014, Don't worry I wasn't offended by it. I actually felt very flattered when you said I was too underrated. Maybe other people just didn't like the genre or the lack of fluff but I just think of it as a challenge. Hope you'll love this!

I have some neat Jelsa fic thoughts and I'mma just put it on my poll so please answer it~ and if it's not too much, you can also visit my deviantart which is on the profile page to check some art I did with Finne Min Senter. Please, don't gouge your eyes after seeing my horrible art hahaha!


	21. Threnody

_**Finne Min Senter**__**  
><strong>__**Chapter Twenty One**__**  
><strong>__**Threnody**__**  
><strong>__**-;-**_

* * *

><p>Iliana Bjorgman had always been peculiar girl.<p>

On the outside, she was a regular fifteen year old who was often described as a clumsy, optimistic and impulsive girl who loves animals. Her dream was to travel the whole world and try new crazy things like climbing the tallest mountain (or building, whichever was more convenient). While she was friendly and had a handful of friends from school and from the neighbourhood, she can't help but feel different from them.

She knew and see stuff that most people can only read and watch in movies or tv shows. Of course her family knows about it and her _mormor_ had told her bedtime stories as she snuggled in her soft mattress, big blue eyes brightened with curiosity and awe as the old woman recanted a magical world where everything was possible.

When she was a kid, she would tell her classmates that she saw a gold cloud hover above the town one late night or sometimes she could hear the chirp of a bird near her ear whenever she placed a tooth under her pillow. At five, it was adorable but as everyone around her grew up; she gradually got the label of 'the weird girl'. Her parents got called to the school one day when she was in fifth grade, telling them that she may need to see a counselor because she openly debated with the Literature teacher about their lesson which concerned the story of the Snow Queen.

They said that she dwelled into her own little world where snowmen walk around and that she was related to the missing monarch lineage that hailed from Norway. After a little talk with her parents, she stopped talking about the things she sees and what she knows about the Snow Queen. The talks finally died down and she gained friends again but she can't help but feel like she was just trying to fit in to the crowd.

The news of the kidnappings had upset the whole community; who wouldn't be? Children were being snatched from their beds and police had all confirmed that there was no sign of forced entry in the houses. Her _mormor_ had whispered to her that it wasn't caused by a human and she silently agreed. Curfews had been implemented and there was a heavy air that hung around the whole town. No one was taken from Östersund yet and it sparked an uncomfortable air. Strangers were being closely watched and the news spreads rather quickly when Aron and Cassidy Sahlsberg had company in their home.

Aron was friends with her dad and they shared a couple of projects together while Cassidy was the belle of the social scene with her charisma and child-like charm. They were fairly popular around town and Iliana had her own share of experiences with them. In early mornings, she would sometimes bump into Aron as he took their enormous (not to mention adorable) dog out for a walk and Cassidy would sometimes stop for a chat though she's certain that the woman can't remember her name to save her life. The only Sahlsberg she didn't like was their son, Erik.

She went to school with him since kindergarten and he was one of those kids who would tape a piece of paper on her back that read 'Weirdo'. Not that she ever seen him do it personally but the boys he hung around with did. Plus, every time she looked at their way, his face would go all red and dropped his head. Her woman's intuition was never wrong; he's guilty of something.

It was hard to be different but she had to keep her knowledge a secret no matter how lonely it is.

But when Jamie Bennett fell in front of her- literally; she finally felt that she wasn't alone in this world. True she was a bit offended when he told her that her ancestor had returned from the spirit world to kidnap kids but at the same time, she was deliriously happy that she had someone to share her secret with. And it so happens that he had his own secret too. He said that he had an informant that gave him answers about the recent happening and he was really interested about the Snow Queen. The thrill and excitement shot through her veins as she quickly shared this to her _mormor_ and father. Her papa was ecstatic that she found someone who wanted to come to their house and hear Gerda's story and _mormor's_ happy because, well, she's happy.

He was very quick-witted and (grudgingly) more mature than her. When she took in his appearance; he was just a lanky brown haired kid with lightly tanned skin and faint freckles. But there was a light in his brown eyes that she saw in _mormor's_; there was wisdom and she admired his determination to solve the mystery as he listened intently to the story that was passed down in her family.

After Jamie left, her _mormor_ told her that the American boy was the first outsider who had heard their family's hidden history. It was a sacred tradition, to pass the story to the future generation so that the real Snow Queen will not be forgotten and Iliana was next in line. She had no other relatives here in Sweden and they never knew their relatives in Norway. So they speculated that the line had since died out.

The teenager grinned as she leaned against her chair, her long dirty blond hair cascaded on her shoulder as they curled from their tight and twisted prison. The look on Jamie's face was funny but at the same time it was riveting. The boys twice his age never had that expression as he listened to Gerda's words as if his very life depended on each word being spoken.

The feeling of completion was certainly a nice change of pace for her; at least he wasn't running away from her after she told him that she was related to the storybook character by blood. It was near seven in the evening and Iliana glanced at her cellphone that was lying on her desk, almost ordering it to buzz for an incoming message that will never arrive.

The girl blew a strand of hair from her right eye and walked out of her room. Her parents had just arrived from their work and asked how her day went, particularly about Jamie. She never brought a friend in their home before. Iliana told them about her day while they listened while _mormor_ drank her favourite tea in silence.

As she sat on her bed with her hair wrapped in a towel, a cold wind blew from her window and caused her to hide her feet under the blankets and her teeth to chatter. She lay on her pillow, hair dripping wet and the towel strewn to the floor. In the darkness, she had never felt so alone that's why she always had a star-shaped night light by her side table.

She hated the dark.

Rolling to her side, she grabbed her phone and pressed the button and stared at the blank screen. She had never felt so disappointed before, she never expected anything from other people except her family and she really looked forward to receive a text message from him.

'Not even a missend' she thought sadly as she laid to her back and stared at her ceiling that was decorated with glow-in-the-dark wall treatments. Something heavy jumped into her bed but she wasn't surprised, her_ mormor'_s cat had a habit of jumping on beds when there's someone on them. The cat pawed at her hand which she ignored.

Cats weren't really her favourite animals, haughty as they were but there are moments that they seemed sweet and she admired their independence. She closed her eyes and hummed the song Gerda had sung to her ever since she was a baby. It was a beautiful lullaby and it never failed to make her eyes water. It was as if the singer was saying goodbye to someone important; like they were never going to see each other again.

_'It must be nice'_ she thought, _'To be that important to someone else_.'

A thin strand of gold entered her room but she just let it come, it was the 'sleeping sands' that always came through her window. She was the only one in their house that the gold sands visited, except for the cat.

Everything was beginning to blur out and the start of her dreams were already in motion when the upbeat tempo of her ringtone resonated around the room. The cat hissed at the noisy object while she pressed the answer button rather quickly and pressed the phone on her right ear.

"Hello?" she all but shouted as she sat on her bed, the sands dissolved into the air.

"Hi Iliana, it's Jamie."

It was silly. She wasn't this excited to have someone call her and it certainly wasn't the first time that she received a call on her phone but she can't wipe the smile off her face. With a small push on the window, she sat on the sil and watched the starry night sky and listened to her friend's voice.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>__**  
><strong>_

A few miles from the Bjorgman residence, Jamie was sitting on the bunk bed with his phone pressed against his ear. His notepad and pens scattered on the mattress while Sophie played with Felix's tail.

"Hi! I thought you're never gonna call!" Iliana's voice chirped from the other end. Jamie scratched his head and looked at the alarm clock that sat on the desk.

"It's only nine" he pointed out.

"I like to sleep early!" she weakly defended.

"Right..." he paused before chewed the cap of his pen. "So... I just wanna give you a head's up. Aron and Cassidy will swing by your dad's studio tomorrow to ask if you can have lunch with us-"

"Sure!"

"But don't you think your dad-"

He could almost hear her roll her eyes and clicked her tongue impatiently at the fact that he was still talking. He wondered if there were times she wasn't so... bubbly. Just watching her made him tired and she always had a smile on her face, like nothing can ever dampen her spirits.

Frankly, he wanted to know if she still believed in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny; most teenagers had stopped believing during their pre-teen years but Aron can see Jack. Maybe he was an exception; Katherine was an honorary Guardian after all. He paused when he heard her scold at something at her end.

"Uh, is someone else there with you?" he asked. He didn't know if she had siblings or not, she actually didn't tell him much about herself except for the Snow Queen part.

She stopped her scolding and giggled lightly before answering; "Nah, only _mormor_'s cat. She likes to climb on my head. It's not like it's big or anything..."

Then she paused, "It's not that big, right?"

The boy stifled a snicker as he climbed down the bunk bed and sat on the floor next to the dog, "It's normal-sized. Anyway, I'll give you the address just in case you won't be at the studios tomorrow..."

They continued their talk until it was already past eleven. Sophie was already sleeping and so was Felix. The lights were all out except for the night light in their room and they had to stop their chat because both his mom and someone on her side had told them to end it and save the chat for tomorrow.

Iliana had whispered the word _'Killjoys!'_ before she bade him a goodnight and turned off her phone. He did the same and climbed back on the bed and yawned, sleep claimed him and all he could dream about was Jack, Sophie, Abby, his friends back in Burgess and Iliana was there too.

* * *

><p>There's a reason why boys shouldn't go to the mall with their moms. His mom and Cassidy had stopped in every clothing and perfume shop and boutique while he, Aron and Erik just sucked in their gut and followed them around like puppies. Sophie was enjoying herself, ooh-ing at the sparkling jewelries and happily tried on countless amounts of clothes his mom and Cassidy forced on her like a fashion show.<p>

Finally, Aron approached them and said, "We'll go ahead and visit Benjamin in his studio. Let's just meet up at the café". Cassidy absent-mindedly nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she cooed over a pile of designer bags in front of her.

Erik was really determined to ignore him, which was alright with Jamie. He didn't even try to hide his dislike to the smaller boy and even more so when he mentioned Iliana. Was he mad at her or something? They followed Aron on the escalator and reached the very top floor where offices were placed. On the last door on the right, a sign that read White River Productions hung on the door.

Aron rapped his knuckles against the door and a voice ushered them in. A honey blond haired woman with a pair of thick eyeglasses glanced at them and folded her hands in front of her.

"Yes?"

Aron began to speak to her in their native tongue when the door next to her desk opened and the lanky man with a pair of headphones hanging around his neck walked out of a dark room. The man walked towards Aron and clapped his back. Aron turned around made a 'Hey!' gesture before they shook hands and talked a couple of minutes.

After that, Aron gestured to the leather couch that he and Erik sat on. The sandy haired man's face brightened as he walked towards Jamie and shook his hands.

"Jamie right?"

He nodded, the handshake was firm yet casual- "Hi uh... sir. Sorry for interrupting you during your job." Iliana had mentioned that her dad was worried about the deadline of the new album they had to distribute by next week. And she was right about him stressing about it judging by the bags that surrounded his hazel eyes.

Benjamin Bjorgman laughed heartily at his stiff posture and patted his back, "No need to be so formal. A friend of Iliana's is welcome in my office anytime."

Aron joined them with curiosity in his eyes and said, "Iliana's welcome to join us for lunch; she and Jamie became friends and we thought it's good for them to stay indoors since the kidnapping maniac is still on the lose."

Benjamin nodded and placed a hand on Jamie's head, "It's amazing how you two became such good friends within a day. I've never seen Iliana so excited to have met someone new before, you must be quite special."

Jamie felt the rush of heat spread across his cheeks. Aron nodded at his words before he excused himself when his cellphone rang. Benjamin nodded at Erik and greeted him kindly but the teenager sat up in a stiff pose and his face was pale.

"Nice to see you're doing well, Erik"

"Thanks..." he replied softly.

And that was that. Benjamin once again clapped on Aron's back and told him that he'll pass it along to Iliana, not knowing that Jamie had already sent a message to Iliana and the girl's already on her way to the house.

Sophie, his mom and Cassidy were sitting outside a coffee shop with steaming white cups in front of them. Jamie's surprised they didn't leave the mall with a single bag. They all rode the bus back to the house and he held Sophie's hand all the way from their stop.

She was so hyper and there were wet patches on the ground so he had to keep her safe before they can get into the house. They shed their coats and Jamie ran up to their room to grab his items when he noticed the frost that imprinted themsleves on the window. It could only mean-

"Hey bud"

"Jack!"

Jamie all but threw himself at his best friend. The spirit chuckled as the boy clung around his midsection like it was his lifeline. All of the sad, empty days wondering what his friend was doing or thinking was all but a distant memory. This was now. Jack's here with him in Aron's house, hugging on the middle of the room like there was no one else in the world but just the two of them. Partners-in-crimes, thick as thieves... _brothers_.

Jamie peeled himself away from Jack's grip, ignoring the tiny bits of ice that formed around the area where his hands were. His smiled faltered for a moment when the last bit of memory he had with Jack ended in a sour note.

"Jack" he started "I'm so sorry about-"

But the Guardian just shook his head and lightly tussled his hair with a sibling's warmth. "I'm the one who's sorry. The Snow Queen thing got me riled up. What have you been up to?" he asked.

Jamie grinned at his friend, his own urge to ask the same question was bursting but he relented and said "You'll never guess what happened! Aron's Katherine Shalazar's grandson!"

The news seemed to sink into Jack's mind slowly before he blinked. He wasn't really familiar with the fallen Guardian and his human companion; he only heard if them through North and Tooth. Bunnymund was always in a bad mood (worse than usual) whenever that topic was discussed while Sandy was quiet. To them, their fallen comrade was like family and the little girl had grown up. Jack didn't think it was such a big deal, considering that the child grew up and according to Jamie's words, had a family of her own.

"Aron can see you!" Jamie exclaimed, his whole body was shaking with anticipation as Jack pulled back and pulled a quizzical expression, his hand cupping his chin. "So the Swede can see me huh? That must be because his grandmother's an honorary Guardian... but I never thought he still believed in her stories" his words were coloured with amazement.

The boy took off his still wet jacket and swept a hand across his hair, "I met someone. I think she can be really helpf-"

"Woah time-out" the spirit interjected by gesturing a giant letter T with his hands, "_SHE_? Man, I was gone for three weeks and you already got yourself a girlfriend?"

His friend's brown eyes widened and his cheeks blushed scarlet before Jamie grounded out "Iliana's not my girlfriend!"

"Oooh so her name's Iliana eh? What does she look like? Pretty?" Jack teased as he watched Jamie's flustered state doubled. He was already expecting steam to puff out of his collar. Finally thinking that his friend was on the borderline of fainting, Jack finally backed off and gestured him to continue.

"Look, Iliana has some information but I don't know if it's real yet. She's gonna come here for lunch and I wanna check out if it's real or not" the boy muttered before he glanced at the window. He didn't know why but it was like he was expecting someone to be with Jack; the temperature had dropped significantly and he could hear Sophie's voice flow i to the open window that was carried by the wind.

Jack pulled on a thoughtful face and cupped his chin, "We're already narrowing down the suspect but I still think it's Pitch". The boy felt a shiver that traveled from the base of his neck down to his spine; the Boogeyman was still on the prowl.

No doubt Pitch Black will get his revenge against Jack and the Guardians.

Jack must've noticed the worry on his face since he kneeled down to his level and placed a hand on top of his head. Even if he was a spirit, Jack's hands were warm that never failed to give him comfort and courage. "Don't worry, we'll get the kids back, kick the bad guy's butt and everything will be back to normal" he assured him. There was a lingering 'But' in Jamie's lips but he knew nothing good would ever come out of being pessimistic. Besides, if Jack said tyat it will be alright, then it's his job to have complete faith on his best friend.

So he nodded and chuckled as Jack ruffled his hair playfully and stood up- "I'm have to get back to North's base but I'll come back soon okay?"

"Yeah!" Jamie exclaimed, excitement and anticipation ran through his veins as Jack gave him a small salute which he promptly returned as saw Jack leap off of the window and Jamie heard the front door opened hurriedly. He walked out of the room and climbed down the stairs to see his mom and Cassidy admire something on Sophie's head.

"Oh sweetie that's so pretty! Where did you find that?" his mom asked with a deep sigh; her fingertips glided delicately over the outlines of what appears to be a flower that was tucked behind Sophie's ear.

The girl giggled and answered "Snow lady made it!"

Sophie's answer almost made Jamie's eyebrows disappear to his hairline. 'Snow lady'? Did she really see the Snow Queen or was she just teasing him because of his recent obsession with the said spirit? Cassidy and his mom exchanged curious looks that led the former to say,

"Sophie you shouldn't take things from strangers, what if that person's bad?"

His little sister shook her head and lifted a hand to the flower as if shielding it from unwanted attention and answered "Snow lady's nice, she made it fo' me."

"'Made'?" Jamie gasped but before any of them could say another word, Erik's voice wandered into the living room with its usual bored tone, "Something's burning in the kitchen"

Cassidy made a tiny squeak before she ran into the kitchen while shouting "My roast!" and his mom hot on her heels. Erik walked to the room with his untidy black curls mussed on top of his head. Jamie felt himself shrink a bit under the teen's gray eyes but Sophie didn't really mind him and even showed Erik the shimmering object on her hair enthusiastically.

"Yeah that's... nice" he offered weakly but Sophie took it as a compliment nonetheless. The girl giggled to herself and ran to the kitchen to seek the company of their mother, leaving him and Erik alone.

Jamie shifted his weight to his foot simultaneously. This was the longest time he had been alone with the other boy. In the duration of their visit, Erik would either lock himself in his room or go out with his friends; ignoring the guests altogether which made Cassidy scowl like she ate something disagreeable. He can't be that bad- he was really nice to Sophie but then again, everyone's so taken with his sister that even the Easter Bunny had given Sophie the biggest egg last Easter by sneaking it into her basket when she wasn't looking.

"Oi, you better close the windows after going out of the room" he huffed.

"Huh?" came his less than articulate reply

"The. Windows." Erik said slowly like he was talking to a toddler, "Every time you leave the room the frosts comes in and leaves a draft." He explained it all in perfect English and his accent was almost nonexistent.

"I didn't know you can speak English fluently" Jamie blurted out; earning him a glare from the older boy. "I-It's just that I thought you didn't want to talk because y'know- you can't speak English-"

"My mother's an American" Erik huffed "I would have at least had some practice by now, wouldn't I?"

"Err... right" Jamie murmured, feeling foolish by every second that passed.

A soft knock on the door (thankfully) interrupted their conversation. Erik was the one who opened it and it revealed Iliana who almost immediately stiffened when she saw Erik. Her lips pursed and Jamie didn't know why but the air around the two was filled with tension.

He stepped into her line of vision and almost immediately her usual smile appeared on her freckled face. "Hi" he greeted which she replied before she muttered a strained "Hello" to Erik who just nodded back; careful to not look at her face.

"I wanna show you something" Jamie whispered into her ear which made Iliana's eyes shine with curiosity and followed him into the house.

"Is that _Ilsanna_?" Cassidy shouted from the kitchen. Jamie fought the urge to laugh at Iliana who rolled her eyes and answered back, "_Iliana _is here Mrs. Sahlsberg! Your home is lovely!"

"Make yourself at home dear, lunch is gonna be a bit... late!" came Cassidy's reply before they heard a bang of pots and pans.

"Are they alright in there?" Iliana asked promptly to Jamie but it was Erik who replied,

"At least the smoke alarms didn't go off"

Jamie expected Iliana to laugh at his otherwise lame joke but Iliana ignored him and instead faced Jamie with a grin, "So what're you gonna show me?"

"Oh right! My sister went outside but when she came back she brought something with her. She said a 'Snow Lady' made an ice flower for her" he whispered in Iliana's ear.

She gasped audibly before she cupped Jamie's hands with hers and practically jumped in excitement, "Can I see it?"

Jamie tried to peer over at Erik's direction to see if he had heard anything from their exchange but the teenager was already making his way to the kitchen.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>_

"Ooooh!" Iliana sighed with awe as she studied the flower meticulously. Jamie's little sister, Sophie, was a cute and energetic girl. If someone had given her a flower made out of ice, she wouldn't have let anyone touch it but the kid lend it to them when Jamie asked for it nicely. It made Iliana wonder what it felt like to have a younger sister.

"Soph, do you remember what the Snow Lady looks like?" Jamie asked his sister.

"She's a pretty lady and has a fluffy birdie!" she answered.

Iliana's jaw dropped before she sat next to Sophie and asked, "Where did you see her? What's the colour of her hair? What about her eyes? Did she really wear a blue gown or was it more of a coat? Was she-"

Jamie held up both of his hands, "Calm down, Sophie can't answer all of 'em that quickly!" To prove his point, Sophie just stared at her with big eyes and a confused expression.

"Sorry" she sighed, "I got super excited I mean, she might be the Snow Queen. Queen Elsa of Arendelle in the flesh- or something like that!" Her whole being screamed restlessness and her eyes were glued to the flower, no doubt Jamie and his sister will think she's a total nut... especially since she isn't blinking.

Before long, Jamie cleared his throat and played with the frayed thread of his sleeve, "So uh, I guess since you told me about the Snow Queen, I should tell you my secret too."

That caught Iliana's attention.

She watched him rub the back of his neck, his brown eyes slightly hidden under his eyelid before he muttered, "My best friend's Jack Frost."

"Huh?" came her intelligent reply.

He hummed and began to scratch his head; no doubt he was trying to say what he was thinking but for her it was a funny thing to watch. Sophie jumped into the bunk bed and grabbed a brown bag; earning inquisitive looks from both Iliana and Jamie before she took out a notebook and extended it to her direction. Jamie's ears suddenly turned red and reached for the wad of paper-

"Soph wait!"

But Iliana was faster, she took the notepad and began to leaf through the pages. It made her stare at the contents. Most of them were sketches. Some were typical childish doodles but then there was a short man standing on top of a cloud. Both the man and the cloud were coloured in pure yellow and they were flying over a sleeping boy with a smile on his face.

Her mind was running through a flurry of thoughts as she traced the drawing and looked at the opposite page where a slender half-bird/half-human creature fly with a dozen of birds that had the same colour scheme. The words 'Tooth Fairy' was written neatly under it along with the date he drew it.

"... Did you drew these?" she asked. It was a stupid question but somehow it was surreal. All her life she thought that she was born different from anyone else; the oddball.

The freak.

But here he was, sitting across her with his face flushed with embarrassment; no doubt he was thinking that she won't believe him. The only person who see things the same as she and as luck can would've had it he came to ask about the Snow Queen who happened to be her ancestor.

Fate was such a funny thing.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>__**  
><strong>_

Pitch always had always looked over his shoulders.

He had always been a suspicious creature but not so much as right now. The Snow Queen had agreed to cooperate with his plans rather quickly and it made his lips curl in a cruel smile. The ice shard had worked its magic and what Elsa didn't know was that Dark Magic was always the most potent form of all. All that anger, that sorrow and self-loathing that she had thrown out was forced to return to her and in the end; it ate her entire being. All the things that she was- the human who she used to be was eaten by the darkness of her own heart. She might be strong with her ice magic and stubborn attitude but it hid a fragile little girl who just wanted to be with her little sister. The Boogeyman hummed to himself as he glided through the pillars of dark ice.

The Snow Queen had a grandeur taste. The ceiling was high and decorated with massive chandeliers that were fashioned with sharp icicles. Two grand staircases let to her private quarter that was guarded by two ice men on either side with spears in their hands. Funny though, they had a slight resemblance with Frost. They had lean bodies made out of crystalline and their chins were pointed and their hair was crowned with spike of ice but their faces somewhat reminded him of that infernal delinquent. Pitch's ears perked when he heard the unmistakable taps of glass heels walk down the staircase with a sinister smile on her pale face. It didn't take a genius to know that the Snow Queen was pleased.

By what he didn't know and normally he wouldn't care but the woman before him was not the same spirit he had known for decades; this one was a stranger. But an asset to his plans nonetheless so he had to get to her good side (or rather less evil side) so he can secure her loyalty to him. So he met up with her by the foot of the stairs and mustered all the charisma he had in his entire being.

"And what could have possibly happened to have you smile like that… Your Majesty?" he asked as charmingly as he could.

At first, she ignored him.

But before he could ask again, she simply rested her staff against her shoulder and held her hand up. A large pillar with a ball on top of it rose from the floor, making the whole place quake before it stilled again. Her actions lacked the grace Elsa had but her powers were more efficient… deadlier. The Snow Queen sauntered towards the ball and smoothed her hand over the surface. Immediately the ball cracked open and tiny creature made out of ice began to crawl out of it. It was an ugly thing. A miniature gargoyle with horns, wing and tails made with the same black ice growled and fly about like flies around a carcass. Any lesser spirit would have squirmed but not Pitch Black. In fact, he lifted up his hand to one of the creatures and it hopped up to him and opened its mouth to reveal rows of needle-like teeth.

"Snow imps" the Snow Queen answered in a bored tone, "I assume you would need some help to get rid of those… friends of yours?"

Pitch Black held back a frown before he dropped the creature from his palm with disgust and replied as politely as he could, "My shadows are already in patrol, your majesty. They are far more powerful and inconspicuous that these things."

The woman lifted a delicate brow and grabbed an imp by the wings with her thumb and forefinger before she held it up to his face, "These 'things' are made with my magic. Anything they sink their teeth on will succumb to the darkness in their hearts. You already have an army but it won't be enough. If you're going to fight someone, don't just make them fall to their knees… destroy them completely."

Pitch's eyes narrowed for a moment. He never thought she could be this bloodthirsty but he admired her style. These creatures can make anyone turn into their darkest forms and it most certainly will give him an advantage against the guardians. The Snow Queen was indeed cunning yes, but he was even more so, that's why he didn't tell her about the flute. There was one thing that troubled him though-

"What about Jack Frost?"

She merely spared him a glance before she turned around and began to climb back to her chambers. He was about to take his leave when he heard her say "Don't worry about him. I will take care of that boy personally."

A grim smirk in his face began to build up. This was something he dare not miss; a battle between the Snow Queen and Jack Frost will be a battle no one could ever forget. Oh how he will relish that look of despair in Frost's face when he finds out that he was betrayed and killed by someone he cared about. And Pitch will be on the front row of the whole thing. And after the Guardians are gone and the whole world plummets down with them… so will the Snow Queen's reign.

* * *

><p><em><strong>-;-<strong>_

The Snow Queen leaned back on the chair as she stared at her reflection on the massive mirror. There were no rooms for error and she will have to be decisive and ruthless about every command. Her army of snow monsters were already in position, waiting for her signal to attack. The imps will provide a good distraction for Pitch Black as he was too… lenient with his enemies. Attacking in the dark, using menial mind tricks to manipulate everyone for what you want- how foolish. If you want something then take it by force, destroy everything that's in your way. A wicked smirk graced her lips as she molded a miniature model of a young man wearing a hoodie with a staff in his hand. She lifted it up and traced her fingertip over its face,

"You said that you wanted to know the real Elsa? I'll show you what's truly in her heart"

The model cracked from its face then all over its body and it slowly dissolved into diamond dust.

-;-

* * *

><p>AN: Guys I'm so so so sorry for a late update. I was too caught up with other things like tumblr and family time that I actually forgot to update this! Please say you'll forgive me? Anyway I'm glad I caught most of you offguard because it means that the story isn't predictable. I wanna write a Jamie and Iliana chappie since I both love em so much and I hope you guys did too!

And WOW. 300 reviews?! Seriously?! You guys are the best!

I wanna thank these special people who made it all possible.

sweetangel014 – (Who reminded me that I have stories to update)

LisIVI – who asked if I was still alive xD

Da-Awesom-One

Crystallized-CloudCatcher

fireninjafox

SynthesisSurge

Anon1

imafangirlforever

electricangel12

fastreader12

Maict – I missed you!

rndomfan

yorushihe

Random

Meep

ElsaTheSnowQueen2

SheWhoLeavesCrappyReviews

Anon2

Anon3

WhiteLunaNight

Guest – Nah I'm okay, just had writer's block.

Again, guys I'm so sorry you had to wait for this but don't worry once after I get back from this trip, I will be able to update weekly again and if I didn't please keep spamming my pm to remind me xD

As usual please read and review. Comments, questions, reactions and suggestions are always welcome. I love you guys. Without you, there wouldn't even be a snowharvester in ff . net


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